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HEIDI 


A STORY FOR CHILDREN AND THOSE THAT 
LOVE CHILDREN 


BY 

FRAU JOHANNA SPYRI 

w 


Translated from the Thirteenth German Edition 

by 

HELEN B. DOLE 


WITH ILLUSTRATIONS 


BOSTON, U.S.A. 

GINN & COMPANY, PUBLISHERS 

QLbc Centrum J]tc66 

1899 


TWO COPIES h8t?gIVED, 



Copyright, 1899 
GINN & COMPANY 

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 



INTRODUCTION. 


Heidt, the Swiss dialect diminutive of Adelheid, is 
in itself an attractive name for a book ; but each of 
the two parts into which the German story is divided 
bears a rather long and cumbrous explanatory title 
besides the subtitle . 1 

Judged from a critical standpoint, the literary style 
of the original is far from perfect ; the sentences are 
frequently prolix, carelessly constructed, and full of 
repetitions. Nevertheless, in spite of technical flaws, 
it is a classic for children. It is true to life, sprightly 
and at the same time serious, sincere and yet overflow- 
ing with healthful innocent mirth, often tempered with 
a tender pathos which is akin to poetic sentiment, and 
yet perfectly free from any trace of sentimentality. It 
is permeated with the deepest love for nature, but the 
descriptions are never wearisome, and it breathes a 
beautiful religious spirit, but it is the simple religion 
of childhood unwitting of denominational differences. 

1 i. “ Heidis Lehr- und Wanderjahre : eine Geschichte fur Kinder 
und auch fiir Solche welche die Kinder lieb haben ” ; 2. “ Heidi kann 
brauchen was es gelernt hat." “ Heidi’s Years of Learning and Travel 
“ Heidi makes Use of what she has learned.” Both have the same 
subtitle : “ A Story for Children and for such as love Children.” 


IV 


INTROD UCTION. 


The conversations are vivacious and natural, and the 
primitive life on the Alpine pastures is happily con- 
trasted with the more conventional existence of the 
wealthy city home, into which the little unsophisticated 
mountain maiden comes like a breath of upper air. 
Her experiences are charmingly portrayed, and one 
entirely forgets that one is not reading a transcript 
from real life, so vivid is the characterization, so per- 
fect the realism, so consistent the narration. The 
cultured German merchant, his serene and patient lit- 
tle invalid daughter, his wise and energetic mother, 
the precise and formal governess, the pert chamber- 
maid, the kind-hearted serving man, the noble and 
generous doctor, Heidi and her much misunderstood 
but magnificent old grandfather, the Aim-Uncle, the 
village pastor, the blind old woman in her shaky hovel, 
and her dull and devoted grandson, Peterli, and, last 
but not least, the carefully individualized goats are all 
drawn with an unerring hand. 

The author began her literary activity rather late in 
life and was led to writing stories for children through 
the solicitations of a friend. Her first book was pub- 
lished in 1870, during the time of the Franco-Prussian 
War, and the proceeds of it were given in aid of the 
wounded. All her earlier works were anonymous. 
“ Heidi’s Years of Learning and Travel ” was the third 
in the series of Stories for Children and those that 
love Children, which began in 1879 and has contin- 
ued till the present time. It finally became known 
that the author of these charming tales was the wife of 


INTROD UCTION. 


V 


the town clerk of Zurich. She came of literary ante- 
cedents. Her father was a well-known and very active 
physician of the little mountain village of Hirzel in 
Canton Zurich ; her mother was the popular poet Meta 
Heusser. Her home was an unusually brilliant social 
centre, where the young girl met many of the celebri- 
ties of the time ; it was also overflowing with brothers 
and sisters, so that she had abundant opportunities to 
know child life at first hand. 

Johanna Heusser was born on the twelfth of June, 
1829, and in 1852 she married her former schoolmate, 
the Rechtskonsulent, or legal adviser, Bernhard Spyri. 
On his death in December, 1884, she published a tribute 
to his memory. Since her first book was written there 
have been few years when some new work from her 
pen has not appeared, and she has been long recognized 
as one of the world’s favorite writers for children. Her 
stories have been translated into various languages, and 
some of them are printed in raised letters for the blind. 
The Swiss Schuldirector, J. V. Widemann, president of 
the Commission for Children’s Literature, wrote in the 
Universal Szviss Teachers' Journal an article declar- 
ing Frau Spyri to be the best of contemporary women 
writers for the young, and adds that he knows of no 
man who can be compared with her. 

The general title of her stories indicates the scope of 
her work. There are children’s books which only chil- 
dren like, and such books are undesirable for children. 
It may be safely said that not one of the few great 
books — the so-called classics for the young — appeals 


VI 


INTK OD UC TION. 


any more strongly to those for whom they were written 
than to their elders. This is certainly the case with 
“ Heidi,” which a healthy appetite will not find cloying 
even after many readings. The story has struck the 
popular heart, and many impressions and several edi- 
tions, the later ones with charming illustrations, have 
been published. 

The present translation has been carefully made with 
the idea of preserving as far as possible the homely 
simplicity and vivacity of the original, the charm of its 
absolute sincerity and wholesome humor. It cannot 
fail to appeal to every reader, and every reader will be 
sure to recommend it to an increasing circle of friends. 
It is thus that great books become firmly established 
in the affections of a people. 

Nathan Haskell Dole. 

“ Hedgecote,” Glen Road, Jamaica Plain, 

Boston, Mass., Oct. 3, 1899. 


CONTENTS 


#o« 

PART I. — HEIDI’S YEARS OF LEARNING 

AND TRAVEL. 

CHAPTER PAGE 

I. The Alm-Uncle i 

II. At the Grandfather’s 18 

III. In the Pasture 29 

IV. At the Grandmother’s 47 

V. Two Visits and their Consequences 65 

VI. A New Chapter and Entirely New Scenes ... 80 

VII. Fraui.ein Rottenmeier Has an Uncomfortable 

Day 92 

VIII. Disturbances in the Sesemann House .^. . . . m 

IX. The Master of the House Hears of Strange 

Doings 126 

X. A Grandmamma 135 

XI. IIeidi Improves in Some Respects, and in Others 

Grows Worse 149 

XII. The Sesemann House is Haunted 156 

XIII. Up the Alm on a Summer Evening 172 

XIV. Sunday when the Church Bells Ring 195 

vii 


CONTENTS. 


viii 

PART II — HEIDI MAKES USE OF WHAT SHE 
HAS LEARNED. 

CHAPTER PAGE 

I. Preparations for a Journey 215 

II. A Guest on the Alm 225 

III. Consolation 238 

IV. The Winter in Dorfli 252 

V. The Winter still Continues 268 

VI. Distant Friends are Heard from 279 

VII. What Further Happened on the Mountain . . 301 

VIII. Something Unexpected Happens 314 

IX. Parting to Meet again 334 


Part I. 


HEIDI’S YEARS OF LEARNING AND TRAVEL. 



HEIDI. 


CHAPTER I. 

THE ALM-UNCLE. 

From the pleasantly situated old town of Mayenfeld 
a footpath leads up through shady green meadows to 
the foot of the mountains, which, as they gaze down on 
the valley, present a solemn and majestic aspect. Any 
one who follows it will soon catch the pungent fragrance 
of grassy pasture lands, for the footpath goes up straight 
and steep to the Alps. 

One bright, sunny June morning, a tall, sturdy look- 
ing girl, evidently a native of the mountains, might 
have been seen climbing this narrow path. She led 
by the hand a little maid, whose cheeks glowed as if a 
ruddy flame were under her dark brown skin. And 
what wonder? In spite of the hot June sun, the child 
was bundled up as if for protection against the keenest 
cold. She could not have been five years old, but it 
was impossible to tell anything about her natural fig- 
ure, for she wore two or three dresses, one over the 
other, and a big red cotton handkerchief around her 
neck ; her feet were lost in heavy hobnailed shoes, and 

i 


2 


HEIDI. 


the little thing was quite formless as she made her hot 
and laborious way up the mountain. 

At the end of an hour of steady climbing the two 
girls came to the hamlet that lies halfway up the Aim, 
and is called Im Dorjli , or the Little Village. Here 
they were greeted from almost every cottage, and by 

every one in the 
street, for the older 
of the two girls had 
reached her home. 
Nevertheless, she 
made no pause but 
hurried on, answer- 
ing all questions 
and greetings as 
she went. At the 
very end of the 
hamlet, as she was 
passing the last of 
the scattered cot- 
tages, a voice from 
the doorway cried : 

“ Wait a moment, Dete, I ’ll go with you, if you are 
bound up the mountain.” 

The girl addressed stopped ; immediately the child 
withdrew her hand and sat down on the ground. 

“Are you tired, Heidi ? ” asked her companion. 

“ No, I am hot,” replied the little girl. 

“ We are almost up there,” said her companion, 
encouragingly. “ You must put out all the strength 



THE A LM- UNCLE. 


3 


you have for a little while longer ; it won’t take us 
more than an hour.” 

Just then a large, pleasant-looking woman came 
out of the cottage and joined them. The little girl 
jumped to her feet and followed the two women, who 
had instantly fallen into a lively conversation regarding 
all the inhabitants of the hamlet and of the neighbor- 
hood. 

“ But really, Dete, where are you taking the child ? ” 
asked the newcomer. “ It is your sister’s little girl, 
is n’t it, — the orphan ? ” 

“Yes, it is,” replied the other, “ I am taking her up 
to her grandfather ; she will have to stay there.” 

“ What ! the little girl is going to live with the Alm- 
Uncle ? You must have lost your senses, Dete ! How 
can you think of doing such a thing? The old man 
will send you back with such a scheme as that.” 

“ He can’t do it ; he ’s her grandfather, and it is time 
for him to look out for her; I have had her till now, 
and I must tell you, Barbel, that I could not think of 
letting her hinder me from taking such a place as I 
have just had offered me. Her grandfather must do 
his part now.” 

“ That ’s very well, if he were like other men,” urged 
the portly Barbel with some indignation. “But you 
know what he is. What will he do with a child — 
especially with such a young one ? He won’t hear 
to such a thing — But where are you going?” 

“ To Frankfurt,” said Dete. “ I have an extra good 
place there. The family was down at the Baths last 


4 


HEIDI. 


summer ; I had charge of their rooms, and they wanted 
then to take me back with them. I could n’t manage 
it ; but they are here again this year, and still want me 
to go with them, and I am going ; you may be sure of 
that.” 

“ I ’m glad I ’m not in the child’s place ! ” cried Barbel 
with a gesture of repulsion. “ Nobody knows what ails 
the old man up there. He will have nothing to do with 
a living soul ; from one end of the year to the other he 
never sets foot in a church ; and if once in a twelve- 
month he comes down with his thick staff, every one 
keeps out of his way and is afraid of him. With his 
heavy gray eyebrows and his tremendous beard he 
looks like a heathen and a savage, and people are 
glad enough not to meet him alone.” 

“Nevertheless,” said Dete stubbornly, “he’s her 
grandfather, and it ’s his business to look after the 
child ; he won’t do her any harm ; if he does, he will 
have to answer for it, not I.” 

“ I should like to know,” said Barbel insinuatingly, 
“ I should really like to know what the old man has on 
his conscience that makes him look so fierce and live 
all alone up there on the Aim and keep almost hidden 
from sight. People tell all sorts of stories about him ; 
of course you must know something about it, Dete ; 
your sister must have told you ; has n’t she ? ” 

“ Of course she has, but I hold my tongue ; if he 
should hear of it, I should suffer!” 

But Barbel had long desired to know the real cause 
of the Aim-Uncle’s peculiarities, and why it was that 


THE ALM-UNCLE. 


5 


he looked so gloomy and lived alone by himself on the 
mountain, and why people always spoke of him with 
bated breath, as if they were afraid to be against him 
and yet would not say anything in his favor. 

Barbel also was ignorant of the reason that all the 
people in the village called him the Aim-Uncle, for 
of course he could not be the actual uncle of all the 
inhabitants ; but as every one called him so, she did 
the same and never spoke of the old man as anything 
else than “Ohi,” which in the dialect of that region 
means uncle. 

Barbel had only recently married into the village ; 
before that her home had been down in the valley at 
Prattigau, and she was not familiar with all the happen- 
ings and all the curious characters of the village and 
the surrounding region through a long series of years. 

Her good friend Dete, on the contrary, was a native 
of the village and had lived there till within a year. 
Then her mother had died and she had gone down to 
Ragatz, where the Baths are, and had found a fine posi- 
tion as chambermaid in a great hotel. She had come 
from Ragatz that very morning with the little girl, hav- 
ing had the chance to ride as far as Mayenfeld on a hay 
wagon which an acquaintance of hers was driving home. 

Barbel thought that this was a good chance to find 
out something, and she was bound not to let it slip. 
She seized Dete’s arm confidentially and said : — 

“ But one can learn the real truth from you instead 
of the gossip which is talked; I am sure you know 
the whole story. Come now, just tell me what is 


6 


HEIDI. 


the matter with the old man ; has he always been so 
feared ? Has he always been such a hermit ? ” 

“ I can’t tell whether he has always been so or not ; 
I am twenty-six now, and he is certainly seventy, and of 
course I never saw him when he was young ; you might 
know that. If I were certain that he would never again 
be seen in all Prattigau, I might tell you all sorts of 
things about him ; my mother was from Domleschg, 
and so was he.” 

“There now, Dete, what do you mean?” exclaimed 
Barbel, a little offended. “You need not be so severe on 
our gossip in Prattigau ; and, besides, I can keep a secret 
or two if need be. Now tell me ; you shan’t regret it.” 

“Well then, I will ; but mind, you hold your tongue,” 
said Dete warningly. Before she began she glanced 
round to see if the little girl were not too close at their 
heels to hear every word that was said. The child was 
not to be seen; she must have ceased following them 
some distance back, but in their lively conversation 
they had not noticed it. Dete stood still and gazed 
all around. There were several turns in the footpath ; 
nevertheless they could see almost all the way down to 
the village. Not a soul was in sight. 

“I see her!” exclaimed Barbel. “There she is! 
Don’t you see her ? ” and she pointed with her finger 
to a place quite distant from the path. “ She is climb- 
ing up the cliffs with the goatherd Peter and his goats. 
Why is he so late to-day with his animals ? But 
it is just as well, for he can look after the child, and 
you will be all the better able to talk with me.” 


THE ALM-UNCLE. 


7 


“ Peter need n’t trouble himself to look after her,” 
remarked Dete ; “ she is not dull for a child of five 
years ; she keeps her eyes open and sees what is going 
on. I have already noticed that, and it’s a good thing 
for her that she does. The old man has nothing to 
leave her but his two goats and his mountain hut.” 

‘‘And did he once have more?” asked Barbel. 

“ He ? Well, I should say that he did once have 
more,” replied Dete warmly ; “ he used to have the finest 
farm in Domleschg. He was the eldest son and had 
only one brother, who was quiet and well behaved. But 
the elder would do nothing but play the fine gentleman 
and travel about the country, mixing with bad people 
that nobody knew about. He drank and gambled away 
the whole property ; and so it happened that his father 
and mother died, one first and then the other, from sheer 
grief ; and his brother, who was also reduced to a beggar, 
went away out of mortification, nobody knew where; 
and the uncle himself, as he had nothing left but a bad 
name, also disappeared — at first no one knew whither, 
then it was reported that he had gone with the soldiers 
to Naples, and after that nothing more was heard of 
him for twelve or fifteen years. Then he suddenly 
appeared again in Domleschg with a half-grown boy 
and tried to find a home for him among his relations. 
But every door was closed to him, and no one wanted 
to know anything more about him. This made him very 
bitter ; he said he would never set foot in Domleschg 
again, and he came here to Dorfli and lived with the 
boy. His wife was probably a Grison woman whom 


HEIDI. 


he had come across down below and soon after lost. 
He must have had some money still, for he let the boy 
Tobias learn the carpenter’s trade ; and he was a steady 
fellow and well thought of by all the people in Dorfli. 
But nobody had confidence in the old man, and it was 
said that he had deserted from Naples, that he had got 
into trouble, that he had killed somebody, not in war 
of course, but in some quarrel. But we recognize the 
relationship, for my mother’s grandmother was his 
grandmother’s first cousin. So we called him Uncle, 
and as we are related to almost all the people in Dorfli, 
on father’s side, they all call him Uncle, and since he 
went up on the Aim he has been known as the Alm- 
Uncle.” 

“ But what became of Tobias ?” asked Barbel eagerly. 

“ Wait and I ’ll tell you. I can’t tell all things in one 
breath ! ” exclaimed Dete. “ Tobias was serving his time 
in Mels, and as soon as he finished he came home to 
Dorfli and married my sister Adelheid, for they had 
always been fond of each other, and after their mar- 
riage they lived very happily together. But it did n’t 
last long. Two years after, while Tobias was working 
on a new house, a beam fell on him and killed him. 
Adelheid’s fright and grief when her husband was 
brought home so disfigured threw her into a violent 
fever, from which she did not recover. She never was 
very strong, and was often in such a condition that it 
was almost impossible to tell whether she was asleep or 
awake. Only two weeks after Tobias’s death Adelheid 
too was buried. Then the sad fate of the two was in 


THE A LM-UNCLE. 


9 


everybody’s mouth far and wide, and it was hinted and 
openly declared that it was a judgment the uncle 
deserved for his godless life. It was said so to his 
face; even the priest admonished him seriously to 
do penance, but he only grew more and more surly 
and obdurate and no longer spoke to any one, and 
every one avoided him. 

“ Suddenly it was reported that the uncle had gone 
up on the Aim and no longer came down at all ; since 
then he has staid there and lives at enmity with God 
and man. 

“ Mother and I took Adelheid’s little child ; she was 
a year old. Last summer mother died, and as I wanted 
to work down at the Baths, I took her to board with 
old Ursel up in Pfafferserdorf. I was able to stay at 
the Baths all winter. I found plenty of work, because I 
could sew and mend ; and early in the spring the lady 
I served last year came back from Frankfurt, and she 
is going to take me home with her. Day after to-mor- 
row morning we start. It is a good place, I can tell 
you.” 

“ And now are you going to give the child to the old 
man up there ? I ’m surprised that you should think of 
such a thing, Dete,” said Barbel reproachfully. 

“What do you mean?” retorted Dete. “I have 
done my duty by the child. What else could I do 
with her now? I don’t think I could take a child 
scarcely five years old to Frankfurt. But where are 
you going, anyway, Barbel ? We are halfway up the 
Aim now.” 


10 


HEIDI. 


“ I have already reached the place where I was 
going. I want to speak to the goatherd Peter’s wife. 
She does spinning for me in winter. So good-bye, 
Dete ; good luck to you!” 

Dete shook her companion’s hand and stood still 
while Barbel went into the little, dark brown mountain 
hut standing a few steps from the path in a hollow, 
where it was somewhat sheltered from the winds. It 
was a good thing that it was in a little hollow, for it 
looked so dilapidated and decayed that it would have 
been a dangerous dwelling when the mighty south 
wind swept across the mountain, making everything in 
the hut, doors and windows, rattle, and all the worm- 
eaten rafters tremble and creak. On such days, if the 
hut had been up on the Aim, it would certainly have 
been blown down into the valley. 

Here dwelt the goatherd Peter, the eleven-year-old 
boy who every morning went down to Dorfli to get the 
goats and drive them up on the Aim, to feed till even- 
ing on the short, nourishing herbs. Then Peter would 
hurry down again with the light-footed animals, give a 
shrill whistle through his fingers as soon as he reached 
Dorfli, and every owner would immediately come and 
get his goat. Little boys and girls came for the most 
part, for the creatures were peaceful and harmless. All 
through the summer it was the only time in the day 
when Peter associated with his fellow-beings ; the rest 
of the time he lived alone with his goats. 

To be sure, he had his mother and blind grandmother 
at home ; but he had to go away very early in the morn- 


THE ALM-UNCLE. 


11 


ing, and come back from Dorfli late in the evening ; so 
in order to play with the children as long as possible, 
he spent only enough time at home to swallow his 
bread and milk. 

His father, who was also called Peter the goatherd, 
because he had followed the same calling in his earlier 
days, had met with an accident some years before while 
felling trees. His mother, whose real name was Bri- 
gitta, was called by every one, for consistency’s sake, 
“goatherd Peter’s wife,” and the blind grandmother 
was known by old and young, far and wide, simply by 
the name of Grandmother. 

Dete waited full ten minutes, looking around in every 
direction for a glimpse of the children with the goats ; 
but as they were nowhere in sight, she climbed a little 
higher, where she could have a better view of the Aim 
down to the foot. Here she peered first this way and 
then that, showing signs of increasing impatience both 
in her face and in her movements. 

Meanwhile the children were coming along by a 
roundabout way. Peter knew many spots where there 
were all sorts of good shrubs and bushes for his goats 
to nibble ; so he frequently wandered from the path 
with his flock. At first the child in her heavy garb 
climbed after them with great difficulty, panting with 
heat and discomfort and straining every nerve. She said 
not a word, but gazed first at Peter, who jumped about 
without any difficulty in his bare feet and light trousers, 
then at the goats with their small, slender legs climbing 
still more easily over bushes and stones and steep crags. 


12 


HEIDI. 


Suddenly the child sat down on the ground and in 
great haste pulled off her shoes and stockings; then 
she stood up again, took off her thick, red neckerchief, 
unfastened her Sunday frock, quickly took that off, arid 
began to unhook her everyday dress. This she wore 
under the other, to save her Aunt Dete the trouble of 
carrying it. Quick as lightning came off also the every- 
day frock, and there the child stood in her light under- 
clothes with delight, stretching her bare arms out of 
her short chemise sleeves. Then she laid them all in 
a neat little pile, and jumped and climbed after the 
goats by Peter’s side, as easily as any in the whole 
company. 

Peter had not noticed what the child was doing 
while she remained behind. But when she came run- 
ning after him in this new costume a grin began to 
spread over his face, and when he looked back and 
saw the little pile of clothes lying on the ground the 
grin grew still broader and his mouth reached almost 
from ear to ear ; but he said nothing. 

The child, feeling so free and light, began to talk 
with Peter, and he had all sorts of questions to answer, 
tor she wanted to know how many goats he had, where 
he was going with them, and what he would do when 
he reached there. 

Finally the children with the goats approached the 
hut and came in sight of Aunt Dete. She had hardly 
caught a glimpse of the group climbing up the moun- 
tain side when she screamed out : — 

“Heidi, what have you been doing? What is the 


THE ALM-UNCLE. 


13 


matter with you ? Where is your dress and the other 
one and your neckerchief? I bought you brand-new 
shoes on the mountain, and I made you new stockings, 
and they are all gone ! all gone ! Heidi, what have you 
done with them ? Where have you put them all? ” 

The child calmly pointed down the mountain and 
said: “There!” 

The aunt followed the direction of her finger. To 
be sure, there lay something, and on the top of it was 
a red speck ; that was surely the neckerchief. 

“You careless girl! ” cried the aunt in great excite- 
ment. “ What were you thinking about ? Why did 
you take everything off ? What did you mean ? ” 

“ I did n’t need them,” said the child, without looking 
in the least sorry for what she had done. 

“ Oh, you careless, senseless Heidi ! don’t you know 
anything? ” the aunt went on, lamenting and scfolding. 
“ It will take half an hour for any one to go down there 
again ! Come, Peter, run back for me and get the 
things ! Come, be quick, and don’t stand there star- 
ing at me as if you were nailed to the ground.” 

“ I am late already,” said Peter slowly, and with 
both hands in his pockets stood still just where he 
was when he heard the aunt’s angry reproaches. 

“ If you stand there staring like that, you will not 
get far, I’m thinking,” called out Aunt Dete. “Come 
here ! you must have something nice. Do you see 
this?” 

She held up a new five-kreutzer piece, which glis- 
tened in his eyes. Suddenly he started, and with tre- 


14 


HEIDI. 


mendous leaps went the shortest way down the Aim, 
and soon reached the little pile of clothes. He picked 
them up and brought them back so quickly that the aunt 
could not help praising him, and gave him his money 

without delay. 
Peter put it deep 
down in his pocket, 
and his face lighted 
up with a broad 
grin, for such a 
treasure did not 
very often fall to 
his share. 

“You may carry 
the things on up 
to the uncle’s, as 
long as you ’re go- 
ing that way,” con- 
tinued Aunt Dete, 
while she set about 
climbing the steep 
cliff, which rose 
high behind Peter’s 
hut. The boy willingly undertook the task and followed 
the others with his bundle in his left hand, and swinging 
his stick in his right. Heidi and the goats skipped and 
jumped along merrily by his side. Thus in about three- 
quarters of an hour the procession reached the height 
where on a jutting cliff stood the old uncle’s hut, 
exposed to every wind, but also accessible to every 



THE ALM-UNCLE. 


15 


ray of sunlight and with a wide view of the valley 
below. Behind the hut stood three ancient fir trees 
with long, thick, untrimmed branches. Farther back 
the mountain with its old gray crags rose higher still, 
now displaying lovely, fertile pastures, now a tangle of 
boulders and bushes, and finally surmounted with bare, 
steep cliffs. 

The uncle had made himself a seat by the side of 
the hut looking down into the valley. Here he sat 
with his pipe in his mouth, his hands resting on his 
knees, calmly watching the children, Aunt Dete, and 
the goats as they came climbing up the mountain. 
Aunt Dete had been gradually left behind, and Heidi 
was the first to reach the hut. She went straight to the 
old man, held out her hand to him, and said : — 

“ How do you do, grandfather ? ” 

“Well, well, what does this mean?” asked the old 
man roughly, barely touching the child’s hand and 
giving her a long, penetrating look from under his 
bushy eyebrows. Heidi gazed back at him in return 
without once winking her eyes, for she had never seen 
any one like her grandfather, with his long beard and 
heavy gray eyebrows meeting in the middle of his fore- 
head like a thicket. In the meanwhile Aunt Dete 
arrived with Peter, who stood still for a time looking 
on to see what would happen. 

“ I wish you good morning, uncle,” said Dete, step- 
ping up to him. “ I have brought Tobias and Adelheid’s 
child to you. You will hardly know her, for you have n’t 
seen her since she was a year old.” 


16 


HEIDI ; 


“Well, what can the child do here with me?” asked 
the old man curtly ; “ and you there,” he called out to 
Peter, “you can go along with your goats. You are 
none too early. Take mine too ! ” 

Peter obeyed without delay and disappeared, for the 
uncle had made it plain that he was not wanted. 

“ She must stay with you, uncle,” said Dete in reply 
to his question. “ I am sure I have done my duty 
by her these four years, and now it is your turn to 
do what you can for her.” 

“Indeed?” said the old man; and his eyes flashed 
at Dete. “ Suppose the child begins to fret and whine 
for you, as is usually the case with the unreasonable 
little things, what shall I do with her ? ” 

“ That is your business,” retorted Dete ; “ I am sure 
no one told me what to do with the little one when it 
was given into my hands, only a year old, and I already 
had enough to do to take care of myself and mother. 
Now I must look out for myself, and you are next 
of kin to the child. If you can’t have her, do what 
you please with her ; you will have to answer for her, 
if she comes to any harm. You don’t want to have 
anything more laid to your charge.*” 

Dete’s conscience was not quite easy; she became 
excited and said more than she had intended. The 
uncle rose at her last words ; he gave her such a 
look that she took several steps backward ; then he 
stretched out his arm and said imperatively: — 

“ Get you gone down where you came from, and 
don’t show yourself here again very soon ! ” 


THE ALM-UNCLE . 


17 


Dete did not need to be told twice. 

“ Good-bye, then ; and good-bye to you too, Heidi,” 
she said quickly and hurried down the mountain to 
Dorfli, as fast as she could go, for her anxiety im- 
pelled her onward, as if she were a powerful steam 
engine. In Dorfli many more asked her about Heidi ; 
they all knew Dete well and whose child she was, and 
all that had taken place. When from every door and 
window came the question, “ Where is the child ? 
Dete, where have you left the child ? ” she called back 
with more and more irritation : — 

“ Up with the Aim-Uncle ! Up with the Aim-Uncle, 
I tell you ! ” 

She was disgusted because the women everywhere 
exclaimed: “How could you do so!” and “The poor 
little soul !” and “ Such a little helpless thing left up 
there!” and then again and again: “The poor little 
soul!” 

Dete pushed on as fast as she could, and was glad 
when she was out of their hearing; she did not feel 
quite easy about the matter, for the dying mother had 
given the child to her. But she quieted her misgivings 
by saying to herself that it would not be long before 
she could do something again for her, since she would 
be earning a good deal of money ; so she felt very glad 
that she would soon be in a fine situation, and far away 
from all the people who would speak to her about the 
matter. 


CHAPTER II. 


AT THE GRANDFATHER’S. 

After Dete had disappeared, the uncle sat down 
again on the bench and blew great clouds of smoke 
from his pipe, while he kept his eyes fixed on the 
ground without saying a word. Meanwhile Heidi was 
content to look about her. She discovered the goats’ 
shed built near the hut and peeped into it. It was 
empty. 

The child continued her investigations and came to 
the fir trees behind the hut. The wind was blowing 
hard, and it whistled and roared through the branches, 
high up in the tops. Heidi stood still and listened. 
When it subsided somewhat she went around to the 
other side of the hut and came back to her grandfather. 
When she found him in the same place where she had 
left him, she placed herself in front of him, put her 
hands behind her, and gazed at him. Her grandfather 
looked up. 

“What do you want to do?” he asked as the child 
continued standing in front of him without moving. 

“ I want to see what you have in the hut,” said 
Heidi. 

“Come along, then! ” and the grandfather rose and 
started to go into the hut. 

18 


AT THE GRANDFATHER'S. 


19 


“Bring your bundle of clothes,” he said as he 
entered. 

“ I shan’t want them any more,” replied Heidi. 

The old man turned around and looked sharply at 
the child, whose black eyes shone in expectation of 
what might be inside. 

“She’s not lacking in intelligence,” he said half to 
himself. “ Why won’t you need them any more ? ” he 
asked aloud. 

“ I ’d rather go like the goats, with their swift 
little legs.” 

“ So you shall, but bring the things along,” commanded 
the grandfather; “they can be put in the cupboard.” 

Heidi obeyed. The old man opened the door, and 
Heidi followed him into a good-sized room, which 
embraced the whole hut. In it were a table and a 
chair ; in one corner was the grandfather’s bed, in 
another the fireplace where hung the large kettle ; on 
the other side, in the wall, was a large door, which the 
grandfather opened ; it was the cupboard. There hung 
his clothes, and on one shelf lay his shirts, stockings, 
and linen ; on another were plates, cups, and glasses, 
and on the topmost a loaf of bread, smoked meat, and 
cheese. Everything the Aim-Uncle owned and needed 
for his subsistence was kept in this closet. As soon 
as he had opened the door, Heidi came running with 
her bundle and pushed it in, as far back of her grand- 
father’s clothes as possible, that it might not. be easy 
to find it again. Then she looked carefully around 
the room and said : — 


20 


HEIDI. 


“Where shall I sleep, grandfather?” 

“ Wherever you like,” he replied. 

This was quite to Heidi’s mind. She looked into 
every nook and corner to see where would be the best 
place for her to sleep. In the corner by her grand- 
father’s bed stood a little ladder, which led to the 
hayloft. Heidi climbed this. There lay a fresh, fra- 
grant heap of hay, and through a round window one 
could look far down into the valley below. 

“ I will sleep here,” Heidi called down ; “ it is lovely ! 
Just come and see how lovely it is here, grandfather! ” 

“ I know all about it,” sounded from below. 

“ I am going to make a bed,” called out the child 
again as she ran busily to and fro in the loft ; “ but 
you must come up here and bring a sheet, for the bed 
must have a sheet for me to sleep on.” 

“Well, well,” said the grandfather below; and after 
a few moments he went to the cupboard and rummaged 
about ; then he drew out from under his shirts a long, 
coarse piece of cloth, which might serve for a sheet. 
He came up the ladder and found that a very neat 
little bed had been made in the hayloft ; the hay was 
piled up higher at one end to form the head, and it was 
placed in such a way that one could look from it straight 
out through the round open window. 

“That is made very nicely,” . said the grandfather; 
“next comes the sheet; but wait a moment,” — and 
he took up a good armful of hay and made the bed 
as thick again, in order that the hard floor might not 
be felt through it; “there, now put it on.” 


AT THE GRANDFATHER'S. 


21 


Heidi quickly took hold of the sheet, but was 
unable to lift it, it was so heavy ; however, this made 
it all the better because the sharp wisps of hay could 
not penetrate the firm cloth. Then the two together 
spread the sheet over the hay, and where it was too 
broad or too long Heidi quickly tucked it under. 
Now it appeared quite trim and neat, and Heidi stood 
looking at it thoughtfully. 

“We have forgotten one thing, grandfather/’ she 
said. 

“ What is that ? ” he asked. 

“ The coverlet ; when we go to bed we creep in 
between the sheet and the coverlet.” 

“ Is that so ? But supposing I have n’t any ? ” asked 
the old man. 

“ Oh, then it ’s no matter,” said Heidi soothingly ; 
“we can take more hay for a coverlet ” ; and she was 
about to run to the hay mow again, but her grand- 
father prevented her. 

“Wait a moment,” he said, and went down the 
ladder to his own bed. Then he came back and laid 
a large, heavy linen bag on the. floor. 

“ Is n’t that better than hay ? ” he asked. Heidi 
pulled at the bag with all her might and main, trying 
to unfold it, but her little hands could not manage the 
heavy thing. Her grandfather helped, and when it was 
finally spread out on the bed, it all looked very neat 
and comfortable, and Heidi, looking at her new resting- 
place admiringly, said : — 

“That is a splendid coverlet, and the whole bed is 


22 


HEIDI. 


lovely ! How I wish it were night so that I could lie 
down in it ! ” 

“ I think we might have something to eat first,” said 
the grandfather. “ What do you say ? ” 

In her eagerness over the bed, Heidi had forgotten 
everything else ; but now that eating was suggested 
to her, a great feeling of hunger rose within her, for 
she had taken nothing all day, except a piece of bread 
and a cup of weak coffee early in the morning, and 
afterwards she had made the long journey. So Heidi 
heartily assented with : — 

“Yes, I think so too.” 

“Well, let us go down, since we are agreed,” said 
the old man and followed close upon the child’s steps. 
He went to the fireplace, pushed the large kettle aside 
and drew forward the little one that hung on the chain, 
sat down on the three-legged wooden stool with the 
round seat in front of him and kindled a bright fire. 
The kettle began to boil, and the old man held over the 
fire a large piece of cheese on the end of a long iron 
fork. He moved it this way and that, until it was 
golden yellow on all sides. Heidi looked on with eager 
attention. Suddenly a new idea came to her mind ; 
she jumped up and ran to the cupboard, and kept going 
back and forth. When the grandfather brought the 
toasted cheese to the table, it was already nicely laid 
with the round loaf of bread, two plates and two knives, 
for Heidi had noticed everything in the cupboard, and 
knew that all would be needed for the meal. 

“That is right, to think of doing something your- 


AT THE GRANDFATHER'S. 


23 


self,” said the grandfather, laying the cheese on the 
bread and putting the teapot on the table ; “ but there 
is something still lacking.” 

Heidi saw how invitingly the steam came out of the 
pot and ran quickly back to the cupboard. But there 
was only one little bowl there. Heidi was not long 
perplexed ; behind it stood two glasses ; the child im- 
mediately came back with the bowl and glasses and 
placed them on the table. 

“Very good. You know how to help yourself; but 
where are you going to sit ? ” 

The grandfather himself was sitting in the only chair. 
Heidi shot like an arrow to the fireplace, brought back 
the little three-legged stool and sat down on it. 

“ Well, you have a seat, sure enough, only it is rather 
low,” said the grandfather; “but in my chair also you 
would be too short to reach the table ; but now you 
must have something anyway, so come ! ” 

Saying which he rose, filled the little bowl with milk, 
placed it on the chair, and pushed it close to the three- 
legged stool, so that Heidi had a table in front of her. 
The grandfather laid a large slice of bread and a piece 
of the golden cheese on the chair and said : — 

“ Now eat ! ” 

He seated himself on the corner of the table and 
began his dinner. Heidi grasped her bowl and drank 
and drank without stopping, for all the thirst of her 
long journey came back to her. Then she drew a long 
breath and set down the bowl. 

“ Do you like the milk ? ” asked her grandfather. 


24 


HEIDI ; 


“ I never tasted such good milk before,” answered 
Heidi. 

“Then you must have some more” ; and the grand- 
father filled the bowl again to the brim and placed it 
before the child, who looked quite content as she began 



to eat her bread, after it had been spread with the 
toasted cheese soft as butter. The combination tasted 
very good, with frequent drinks of milk. 

When the meal was over, the grandfather went out 
to the goat-shed to put it in order, and Heidi watched 
him closely as he first swept it clean with a broom and 


AT THE GRANDFATHER'S. 


25 


then laid down fresh straw for the animals to sleep on. 
Then he went to his little shop, cut some round sticks, 
shaped a board, made some holes in it, put the round 
sticks into them, and suddenly it was a stool like his 
own, only much higher. Heidi was speechless with 
amazement as she saw his work. 

“ What is this, Heidi ? ” asked the grandfather. 

“ It is a stool for me, because it is so high ; you made 
it all at once,” said the child, still deeply astonished. 

“ She knows what she sees ; her eyes are in the right 
place,” remarked the grandfather to himself as he went 
around the hut driving a nail here and there ; then he 
repaired something about the door and went from place 
to place with hammer, nails, and pieces of wood, mend- 
ing and clearing away wherever it was needed. Heidi 
followed him step by step and watched him with the 
closest attention, and everything he did amused her 
very much. 

Evening was coming on. It was beginning to blow 
harder in the old fir trees, for a mighty wind had sprung 
up and was whistling and moaning through their thick 
tops. It sounded so beautiful in Heidi’s ears and heart 
that she was quite delighted, and skipped and jumped 
under the firs as if she were experiencing the greatest 
pleasure of her life. The grandfather stood in the door- 
way and watched the child. 

A shrill whistle sounded. Heidi stopped her jump- 
ing, and the grandfather stepped outside. Down from 
above came goat after goat, leaping like a hunting train, 
and Peter in the midst of them. With a shout of joy 


26 


HEIDI ; 


Heidi rushed in among the flock and greeted her old 
friends of the morning one after the other. 

When they reached the hut, they all stood still, and 
two lovely slender goats — one white, the other brown 
— came out from the others to the grandfather and 
licked his hands, in which he held some salt to welcome 
them. This he did each evening. Peter disappeared 
with his flock. Heidi gently stroked first one goat and 
then the other and ran around them to stroke them on 
the other side ; she was perfectly delighted with the 
little creatures. 

“Are they ours, grandfather? Are they both ours? 
Will they go into the shed ? Will they stay with us 
always ? ” asked Heidi, one question following the other 
in her delight. When the goats had finished licking 
their salt, the old man said : — 

“ Go and bring out your little bowl and the 
bread.” 

Heidi obeyed and came back at once. The grand- 
father milked the goat and filled the bowl and cut off a 
piece of bread, saying : — 

“ Now eat your supper and then go up to bed ! Your 
Aunt Dete left a bundle for you ; your nightgowns and 
other things are in it. You will find it downstairs in 
the closet if you need it. I must attend to the goats 
now; so sleep well!” 

“ Good-night, grandfather ! Good-night — what are 
their names, grandfather ? what are their names ? ” 
cried the child, running after the old man and the 
goats as they disappeared in the shed. 


AT THE GRANDFATHER'S . 


27 


“The white one is named Schwanli 1 and the brown 
one Barli ,” 2 answered the grandfather. 

“Good-night, Schwanli! good-night, Barli !” called 
Heidi at the top of her voice. Then Heidi sat down 
on the bench and ate her bread and drank her milk ; 
but the strong wind almost blew her off from her seat ; 
so she finished hastily, then went in and climbed up to 
her bed, in which she immediately fell asleep and slept 
as sound and well as if she had been in the loveliest 
bed of some royal princess. 

Not long after, even before it was wholly dark, the 
grandfather also went to bed ; for he was always up 
with the sun, and it came climbing over the mountain 
very early in the summer time. In the night the wind 
blew with such force that its blasts made the whole 
hut tremble, and every rafter creaked. It howled and 
groaned down the chimney like voices in distress, and 
outside in the fir trees it raged with such fury that now 
and then a bough was broken off. 

In the middle of the night the grandfather rose and 
said half aloud to himself : — 

“ She may be afraid.” 

He climbed the ladder and went to Heidi’s bedside. 
The moon outside shone brightly in the sky for a mo- 
ment and then disappeared behind the driving clouds, 
and everything grew dark. Then the moonlight came 
again brightly through the round opening and fell 
directly on Heidi’s couch. Her cheeks were fiery red 

1 Schwanli = little swan. 

2 Rarli = little bear. 


28 


HEIDI. 


as she slept under the heavy coverlet, and she lay per- 
fectly calm and peaceful on her little round arm. She 
must have been dreaming happy dreams, for a look of 
contentment was on her face. The grandfather gazed 
long at the sweetly sleeping child until the moon went 
behind a cloud again and it was dark. Then he went 
back to his own bed. 


CHAPTER III. 


IN THE PASTURE. 

Heidi was awakened early in the morning by a loud 
whistle ; and when she opened her eyes, a flood of sun- 
shine was pouring through the round window on her bed 
and the hay close by, so that everything about shone 
like gold. Heidi looked around her in amazement and 
did not know where she was. 

Then she heard her grandfather’s deep voice outside, 
and everything came back to her mind — where she had 
come from, and that now she was up on the Aim with 
her grandfather and no longer with old Ursel. Ursel 
was always cold, so that she liked to sit by the kitchen 
fire or the stove in her chamber. Heidi had been obliged 
to stay very near, so that the old woman could see where 
she was, because she was deaf and could not hear her. 
This had often been very irksome to Heidi, who longed 
to run outside. 

So she was very glad when she awoke in her new 
home and remembered how many strange things she 
had seen the day before and what she would see again 
that day, especially Schwanli and Barli. 

Heidi jumped quickly out of bed and in a few minutes 
had put on all that she wore the day before ; it was very 
little. Then she climbed down the ladder and ran out 


29 


30 


HEIDI. 


in front of the hut. There already stood the goatherd 
Peter with his flock, and the grandfather was bringing 
Schwanli and Barli out of the shed to join the other 
goats. Heidi ran up to him to say good-morning to him 
and the goats. 

“Would you like to go to the pasture, too ? ” asked 
the grandfather. Heidi was pleased with the idea and 
jumped for joy. 

“ But first wash and be clean, or else the sun will 
laugh at you when it is shining so brightly up there 
and sees that you are dirty; see, everything is ready 
for you.” 

The grandfather pointed to a large tub full of water 
standing before the door in the sunshine. Heidi ran 
to it and splashed and rubbed until she was all shining. 
Meanwhile the grandfather went into the hut and called 
to Peter : — 

“ Come here, general of the goats, and bring your 
haversack with you.” 

Peter, surprised, obeyed the call and brought along 
the little bag in which he carried his meagre dinner. 

“ Open it,” said the old man ; and he put in a large 
piece of bread and an equally large piece of cheese. 
Peter opened his round eyes as wide as possible in his 
amazement, for both pieces were half as large again as 
what he had brought for his own dinner. 

“Now in goes the little bowl,” continued the uncle, 
“ for the child cannot drink the way you do, right from 
the goat ; she does n’t know how. Milk two bowlsful 
at noon for her, as she is to go with you and stay until 


IN THE PASTURE. 


31 


you come down again ; take care that she does n’t fall 
over the rocks ; do you hear? ” 

Heidi came running up. 

“ Can the sun laugh at me now, grandfather?” she 
asked eagerly. In her fear of the sun she had rubbed 
her face, neck, and arms so vigorously with the coarse 
towel her grandfather had hung by the water tub 
that she looked as red as a lobster. Her grandfather 
smiled. 

“ No ; now he has nothing to laugh at,” he admitted ; 
“ but do you know to-night, when you come home, you 
must go in all over, like a fish ; for after running about 
like the goats you will have black feet. Now you can 
march along.” 

So she went merrily up the Aim. The wind in the 
night had blown away the last clouds ; the sky was 
everywhere a deep blue, and in the midst stood the 
sun, shining on the green mountain ; all the blue and 
yellow flowers opened their calyxes and looked up with 
gladness. Heidi jumped here and there and shouted 
for joy ; for there were whole troops of delicate red prim- 
roses together, and yonder it was blue with gentians, 
and everywhere in the sunshine smiled and nodded the 
tender-leaved golden rock-roses. Heidi was so charmed 
by all these glistening, nodding flowers that she entirely 
forgot the goats and even Peter. She ran far ahead 
and then off on one side, for it shone red here and yel- 
low there and enticed her in every direction. Wherever 
she went she plucked quantities of the flowers and put 
them into her apron, for she wanted to carry them all 


32 


HEIDI. 


home and put them into the hay in her sleeping room, 
that it might look there as it did here. 

So Peter had to look everywhere ; and his round eyes, 
which did not move quickly from one place to another, 
had more work than they could well manage, for the 
goats were as bad as Heidi. They ran hither and thither, 
and he was obliged to whistle and shout and swing 
his rod continually in order to drive all the stragglers 
together. 

“ Where have you gone now, Heidi ? ” he called 
almost angrily. 

“ Here,” sounded from some indefinite place. Peter 
could see no one, for Heidi was sitting on the ground 
behind a knoll, which was thickly covered with fragrant 
wild flowers. The whole air around was filled with the 
sweet odor, and Heidi had never breathed anything so 
exquisite before. She sat down among the flowers and 
drew in long breaths of the perfume. 

“ Come along ! ” called Peter again. “ You must not 
fall down over the cliffs ; the uncle charged me not to 
let you.” 

“ Where are the cliffs ? ” asked Heidi without stirring 
from the place, for every breath of wind brought the 
sweet odor to the child with increasing charm. 

“Up there, ’way up ; we have still a long way to go ; 
so come along now ! And up at the very top sits the 
old robber-bird croaking.” 

That availed. Heidi immediately jumped up and ran 
to Peter with her apron full of flowers. 

“You have enough now,” he said, when they were 


IN THE PASTURE. 


33 


once more climbing together ; “ besides, you ’ll stay here 
forever, and if you pick them all you won’t have any 
to-morrow.” 

The last reason convinced Heidi ; besides, her apron 
was already so full that there was hardly room for more, 
and there must be some left for to-morrow. So she 
went along with Peter; and the goats behaved better 
and hurried along without delay, for they smelt the good 
herbage in the distance on the high pasture land. 

The pasture where Peter usually went with his goats 
for the day lay at the foot of the high cliff. The lower 
part of this was covered with bushes and fir trees, but 
it rose toward heaven quite bald and steep. On one 
side of the mountain there were deep chasms. The 
grandfather was quite right in warning Peter about 
them. 

When Peter reached this spot on the heights, he 
took off his bag and laid it carefully in a little hollow 
in the ground. He knew that the wind often rushed 
across in strong gusts, and he did not wish to see his 
precious possessions roll down the mountain. Then he 
stretched himself out on the ground in the sunny pas- 
ture to rest from the exertion of climbing. 

In the mean time Heidi had taken off her apron, 
rolled it up tightly with the flowers inside, and laid it 
close to the lunch bag. Then she sat down beside 
Peter and looked around her. The valley lay far below 
in the full morning sunshine. In front of her Heidi 
saw a great wide field of snow, stretching high up into 
the deep blue sky ; on the left stood an enormous mass 


34 


HEIDI. 


of rock, on each side of which a higher tower of bald, 
jagged crags rose into the azure and looked very sternly 
down on Heidi. The child sat as still as a mouse ; every- 
where there was a great, deep stillness ; only the wind 
passed very softly and gently over the tender bluebells 



and the radiant golden rock-roses, which were every- 
where gaily nodding to and fro on their slender stems. 
Peter had gone to sleep after his exertion, and the goats 
were climbing among the bushes. 

She drank in the golden sunlight, the fresh air, the 
delicate fragrance of the flowers, and desired nothing 
more than to remain there forever. A good while passed 


IN THE PASTURE. 


35 


in this way, and Heidi had gazed so often and so long 
at the lofty mountain tops that it seemed as if they all 
had faces and were gazing down quite familiarly at her, 
like good friends. 

Then she heard above her a loud, shrill screaming 
and croaking, and as she looked up into the air the 
largest bird she had ever seen in her life was flying 
around on wide, outstretched wings and coming back 
in wider circles and screaming loud and piercingly over 
her head. 

“ Peter ! Peter ! Wake up ! ” cried Heidi at the top 
of her voice. “ See, there is the robber-bird ! See ! 
see ! ” 

Peter jumped up at the call and looked with Heidi at 
the bird, which was flying higher and higher in the blue 
sky. Finally it disappeared over the gray cliffs. 

“Where has he gone now?” asked Heidi, who had 
watched the bird with eager scrutiny. 

“ Home to his nest,” was Peter’s answer. 

“ Is his home ’way up there ? Oh, how lovely to be so 
high up ! Why does he scream so ? ” asked Heidi again. 

“Because he can’t help it,” explained Peter. 

“ Let us climb up there and see where his home is,” 
proposed Heidi. 

“ Oh ! oh ! oh ! ” burst out Peter, uttering each excla- 
mation with more vehement disapproval ; “ no goat can 
get there, and the uncle said you must not fall over 
the cliff.” 

Then Peter suddenly began such a whistling and call- 
ing that Heidi did not know what was going to happen ; 


36 


HEIDI. 


but the goats must have understood the sound, for one 
after another they came jumping down until the whole 
flock was assembled on the green slope, some nibbling 
the spicy stalks, others running to and fro, and still 
others amusing themselves by butting one another with 
their horns. 

Heidi jumped up and ran around among the goats. 
It was new and indescribably amusing to her to see how 
the little creatures leaped about and played together, 
and Heidi made the personal acquaintance of each, for 
every one had a quite distinct individuality and its own 
peculiar ways. 

Meanwhile Peter had brought out the bag and nicely 
arranged all four of the pieces of bread and cheese on 
the ground in a square, the larger pieces on Heidi’s 
side, the smaller ones on his side; he knew just how 
many he had. Then he took the little bowl and milked 
sweet, fresh milk from Schwanli into it and placed it 
in the middle of the square. Then he called Heidi, 
but he had to call longer for her than for the goats, 
because she was so interested and pleased with the 
varied gamboling and frolicking of her new playmates 
that she saw and heard nothing else. 

But Peter knew how to make himself understood. 
He called till it made the rocks above echo ; and Heidi 
appeared, and the table he had laid looked so inviting 
that she danced around it for joy. 

“ Stop jumping; it is time to eat,” said Peter; “sit 
down and begin.” 

Heidi sat down. 


IN THE PASTURE. 


37 


“ Is the milk mine? ” she asked, contemplating with 
satisfaction the neat square and the bowl in the 
middle. 

“Yes,” answered Peter, “and the two large pieces of 
bread and cheese are yours, too; and when you have 
drunk all the milk, you can have another bowlful from 
Schwanli, and then it is my turn.” 

“And where will you get your milk? ” Heidi wanted 
to know. 

“ From my goat — from Schnecke. Go to eating ! ” 
commanded Peter once more. 

Heidi began with her milk, and as soon as she set 
down her empty bowl Peter rose and filled it again. 
Heidi broke some of her bread into it ; the rest, a piece 
still larger than all Peter’s bread, she handed over to 
him, with all her large portion of cheese, and said : — 

“You may have that. I have enough.” 

Peter looked at Heidi in speechless amazement, for 
never in his life had he been able to say such a thing 
or give anything away. He hesitated a little, for he 
could not really believe that Heidi was in earnest. 
She persisted in offering the bread and cheese, and 
when he did not take it, she laid it down on his knee. 
Then he saw that she meant it for him, seized the 
prize, nodded his thanks, and then made the most 
satisfactory dinner of his goatherd life. Meantime 
Heidi watched the goats. 

“ What are their names, Peter ? ” she asked. 

He knew them all well enough and could keep them 
in his head all the better because he had little else to 


38 


HEIDI. 


store away there. So he began and without hesitation 
named one after the other, pointing to each one as he 
did so. Heidi listened with the closest attention to his 
explanation, and before long she could distinguish them 
from one another and call each by name ; for they all 
had their peculiarities, which any one might remember, 
but it was necessary to look at them closely, and she 
did this. 

There was the big Turk with his powerful horns. 
He was always trying to butt all the others, and if he 
came near, most of them ran away and would have 
nothing to do with their rough comrade. The brave 
Distelfinck, a slender, nimble little goat, was the only 
one that did not avoid him, but often ran at him three 
or four times in succession so swiftly and skilfully that 
the big Turk would stand still in astonishment and 
make no further attack ; for the Distelfinck looked very 
warlike and had sharp horns. 

There was the little white Schneehopli, always bleat- 
ing so touchingly, so beseechingly, that Heidi ran to 
her again and again and put her arms around her head 
to comfort her. But now the child hurried to her 
once more, for her mournful young voice was again 
raised in appeal. Heidi threw her arm around the little 
creature’s neck and asked quite sympathetically : — 

“ What is the matter, Schneehopli ? Why do you 
cry so ? ” 

The goat trustingly pressed close to Heidi’s side and 
became perfectly quiet. 

Peter called out from where he was sitting, with 


IN THE FAS THEE. 


39 


frequent interruptions while he took a bite and a 
swallow : — 

“ She does so because the old one does n’t come with 
her any more. They sold her and sent her to Mayen- 
feld day before yesterday ; so she does n’t come up on 
the Aim any longer.” 

“ Who is the old one? ” asked Heidi. 

“ Why, the mother, of course,” was the reply. 

“ Where is the grandmother? ” asked Heidi again. 

“ Has n’t any.” 

“ And the grandfather ? ” 

“ Has n’t any.” 

“You poor Schneehopli,” said Heidi, drawing the 
little creature tenderly towards her. “ Don’t cry so 
any more, for, you see, I will come with you every day, 
and then you won’t be alone ; and if you want anything, 
you can come to me.” 

Schneehdpli rubbed her head contentedly against 
Heidi’s shoulder and bleated no more. 

By far the prettiest and cleanest of the goats were 
Schwanli and Barli, who were decidedly superior in 
their behavior, and usually went their own way ; they 
especially avoided the obtrusive Turk and treated him 
with contempt. 

The animals had begun to climb up to the bushes 
again, each one after his own fashion : some leaping 
carelessly over everything, others cautiously seeking 
out the good herbs as they went along, while the Turk 
tried his horns here and there — first in one place and 
then in another. 


40 


HEIDI. 


Schwanli and Barli climbed prettily and gracefully, 
and whenever they found fine bushes, there they sta- 
tioned themselves and browsed on them. Heidi stood 
with her hands behind her back, watching them all with 
the closest attention. 

“ Peter,” she said to the boy, who had thrown him- 
self down again on the ground, “ the prettiest of them 
all are Schwanli and Barli.” 

“Of course they are,” was the reply. “The Alm- 
Uncle brushes and washes them and gives them salt and 
has the best shed.” 

Suddenly Peter jumped up and fairly leaped after the 
goats. Heidi ran after him ; she felt that something 
must have happened, and she could not remain behind. 
Peter ran through the midst of the goats to the side of 
the mountain, where the rocks descended steep and bare 
far below, and where a careless goat, going near, might 
easily fall over and break all its bones. He had seen 
the venturesome Distelfinck jumping along in that direc- 
tion ; he reached there just in time, for at that instant 
the little goat came to the very edge of the precipice. 
Just as it was falling, Peter flung himself down on the 
ground and managed to seize one of its legs and hold 
it fast. Distelfinck bleated with anger and surprise, to 
be held so by his leg and hindered from continuing his 
merry course, and struggled obstinately onward. Peter 
screamed : •“ Heidi, help me ! ” for he could n’t get up 
and was almost pulling off Distelfinck’s leg. Heidi was 
already there and instantly understood their sorry plight. 
She quickly pulled up from the ground some fragrant 


IN THE PAS THEE. 


41 


herbs and held them under Distelfinck’s nose and said 
soothingly : — 

“ Come, come, Distelfinck, you must be sensible ! 
See, you might fall off and break your bones, and that 
would give you frightful pain.” 

The goat quickly turned around and eagerly nibbled 
the herbs from Heidi’s hand. Meanwhile Peter had 
succeeded in getting on his feet and had seized the 
cord which held the bell around Distelfinck’s neck. 
Heidi seized it on the opposite side, and the two 
together led the runaway back to the peacefully feed- 
ing flock. 

When Peter had the goat in safety once more, he 
raised his rod to beat him soundly as a punishment, and 
Distelfinck timidly drew back, for he saw what was 
going to happen. But Heidi cried: — 

“ No, Peter ! no, you must not beat him ! See how 
frightened he is ! ” 

“He deserves it,” snarled Peter and was going to 
strike the goat. But Heidi seized his arm and cried 
indignantly : — 

“You shall not do it; it will hurt him! Let him 
alone ! ” 

Peter looked in astonishment at the commanding 
Heidi, whose black eyes snapped at him. He reluc- 
tantly dropped his rod. 

“ He can go if you will give me some of your cheese 
again to-morrow,” said Peter, yielding; for he wanted 
some compensation for his fright. 

“You may have it all — the whole piece — -to-morrow 


42 


HEIDI. 


and every day ; I do not want it,” said Heidi with 
ready assent ; “ and I will give you a good part of my 
bread, too, as I did to-day. But then you must never, 
never beat Distelfinck, nor Schneehopli, nor any of the 
goats.” 

“ It ’s all the same to me,” remarked Peter ; and 
this was as good as a promise with him. Then he let 
the offender go, and the happy Distelfinck leaped high 
in the air and then bounded back into the flock. 

Thus the day had imperceptibly passed away, and the 
sun was just ready to go down behind the mountains. 
Heidi sat down on the ground again and silently gazed 
at the bluebells and the rock-roses glowing in the even- 
ing light ; and all the grass seemed tinted with gold, 
and the cliffs above began to gleam and sparkle. Sud- 
denly Heidi jumped up and exclaimed : — 

“ Peter ! Peter ! it ’s on fire ! It ’s on fire ! All the 
mountains are burning, and the big snow field over 
there is on fire and the sky ! Oh, see ! see ! The 
high cliff is all burning ! Oh, the beautiful fiery snow ! 
Peter, get up ! See ! the fire reaches up to the robber- 
bird ! Look at the rocks ! See the fir trees ! Every- 
thing, everything is on fire ! ” 

“ It ’s always so,” said Peter good-naturedly, peeling 
the bark from his rod ; “but it is no fire.” 

“What is it, then ? ” asked Heidi, running back and 
forth in order to look on every side ; for she could not 
see enough, it was so beautiful everywhere. 

“ What is it, Peter ? what is it ? ” cried Heidi again. 

“ It comes so of itself,” explained Peter. 


IN THE PASTURE. 


43 


“ Oh, see ! see ! ” cried Heidi in great excitement ; 
“ suddenly it grows rosy red ! Look at the snow and the 
high, pointed rocks ! What are their names, Peter ? ” 

“ Mountains don’t have names,” he replied. 

“ Oh, how lovely ! See the snow all rosy red ! And 
oh, on the rocks above there are ever and ever so many 
roses ! Oh, now they are turning gray ! Oh ! Oh ! 
Now it is all gone ! It is all gone, Peter ! ” And Heidi 
sat down on the ground and looked as distressed as if 
everything was really coming to an end. 

“ It will be just the same again to-morrow,” explained 
Peter. “ Get up ! We must go home now.” 

Peter whistled and called the goats together, and 
they started on the homeward journey. 

“Will it be like that every day — every day when we 
go to the pasture ? ” asked Heidi, listening eagerly for 
some decided assurance as she walked down the moun- 
tain by Peter’s side. 

“ Usually,” was the reply. 

“ But really to-morrow again ? ” she wanted to 
know. 

“Yes; yes, to-morrow, certainly!” assured Peter. 

Then Heidi was happy once more, but she had re- 
ceived so many impressions, and so many things were 
going around in her mind, that she was perfectly silent 
until they reached the hut and saw her grandfather. 
He was sitting under the fir trees, where he had also 
made a seat and was in the habit of waiting in the even- 
ing for his goats, which came down in this direction. 

Heidi ran straight up to him, followed by Schwanli 


44 


HEIDI. 


and Barli; for the goats knew their master and their 
shed. Peter called out to Heidi : — 

“ Come again to-morrow ! Good-night ! ” He was 
pleased to have Heidi go with him. 

Heidi darted back, gave Peter her hand, and assured 
him that she would accompany him again ; then she 
sprang into the midst of the departing flock, threw her 
arms once more around Schneehopli’s neck, and said 
confidingly : — 

“ Sleep well, Schneehopli, and remember that I will 
go with you again to-morrow and that you must never 
bleat so mournfully again.” 

Schneehopli seemed pleased and looked thankfully 
into Heidi’s face and then leaped gaily after the other 
goats. 

Heidi came back under the fir trees. 

“ Oh, grandfather, it was so beautiful!” she exclaimed 
even before she had reached him — “ the fire and the 
roses on the cliffs and the blue and yellow flowers ; and 
see what I have brought you ! ” 

Whereupon Heidi shook all her wealth of flowers out 
of her folded apron in front of her grandfather. But 
what a sight the poor little flowers made ! Heidi no 
longer recognized them. They were all like hay, and 
not a single cup was open. 

“Oh, grandfather, what is the matter with them?” 
cried Heidi, quite shocked. “ They were not like that ; 
why do they look so now ? ” 

“They like to stand out in the sunshine and not shut 
up in your apron,” said the grandfather. 


IN THE PASTURE. 


45 


“Then I will never bring any more home: But, 
grandfather, what made the robber-bird scream so ? ” 
asked Heidi urgently. 

“You must jump into the water now, while I go to 
the shed and fetch the milk ; afterwards we will go into 
the house together and have supper. Then I will tell 
you about it.” 

So it was ; and later, when Heidi sat on her high 
stool before her little bowl of milk, next her grandfather, 
she again asked the question : — 

“ Why did the robber-bird keep croaking and scream- 
ing so, grandfather ? ” 

“ He is mocking at the people down below, because so 
many sit together in the villages and make one another 
wicked. So he mocks at them : ‘ It would be much bet- 
ter for you to leave one another and let each go his own 
way and climb up to some mountain-top, as I do ! ’ ” 

The grandfather spoke these words so wildly that the 
robber-bird’s screaming came back to Heidi’s mind still 
more impressively. 

“Why have the mountains no names, grandfather? ” 
asked Heidi again. 

“They have names,” he replied; “and if you can 
describe one to me so that I can recognize it, I will tell 
you what it is called.” 

Then Heidi described the rocky mountain, with its 
two high towers, just as she had seen it, and the grand- 
father, well pleased, said : — 

“ Very good ! I know it ; it is called Falkniss . 1 Did 
you see any more ? ” 


1 Falcon’s nest. 


46 


HEIDI. 


Then Heidi described the mountain with the big snow 
field, which had been on fire, then turned rose color, 
and then suddenly grew pale and wan. 

“I know that, too,” said the grandfather; “that is 
the Casaplana. So it pleased you up in the pasture, 
did it ? ” 

Then Heidi told him about everything that had hap- 
pened throughout the day — how lovely it had been ; 
and she asked her grandfather to tell her where the fire 
at evening had come from, for Peter had not known any- 
thing about it. 

“ You see/* the grandfather explained, “ the sun does 
it. When he says good-night to the mountains, he sends 
to them his most beautiful rays so that they may not 
forget him until he comes back again in the morning.” 

This pleased Heidi, and she could hardly wait for 
another day to come so that she could go up to the 
pasture and see once more how the sun said good-night 
to the mountains. But first she had to go to sleep, and 
she slept soundly the whole night long on her bed of 
hay and dreamed of bright, shining mountains and their 
red roses, in the midst of which Schneehopli merrily 
ran and jumped. 


CHAPTER IV. 


AT THE GRANDMOTHER’S. 

On the following morning the bright sun appeared 
again, and Peter came with his goats, and they all went 
together up to the pasture ; and so it happened day after 
day. Heidi grew very brown and strong and healthy 
from this outdoor life, and she was as happy as the 
merry little birds in all the trees in the green woods. 

It was now autumn, and the wind was beginning to 
blow louder over the mountains ; so the grandfather 
said one day : — 

“You must stay here to-day, Heidi; the wind with 
one puff could blow a little thing like you over all the 
rocks down into the valley.” 

But when Peter heard this in the morning, he looked 
very unhappy, for he saw real misfortune before him. 
He did not know how to pass the time, it was so tedi- 
ous when Heidi was not with him. He missed his 
hearty dinner. Moreover, the goats were so contrary 
these days that he had twice as much trouble with 
them ; they were so accustomed to Heidi’s company 
that they would not go along, but ran off in every 
direction, because she was not with them. 

Heidi was never unhappy, for she always found some- 
thing about her to enjoy. She would have preferred 

47 


48 


HEIDI . 


to go with Peter and the goats to the pasture, to the 
flowers, and up to the robber-bird, where there were so 
many things to do, with all the different goats ; but 
still her grandfather’s hammering and sawing and car- 
pentering were very interesting to Heidi. It pleased 
her that he was just preparing the pretty round goat 
cheeses. Since she had to stay at home, it was particu- 
larly delightful to watch the remarkable operations of 
her grandfather as he bared both arms and stirred the 
cheese in the big kettle. 

But more attractive than all else to Heidi on such 
windy days was the roaring and rushing in the three 
old fir trees behind the hut. Wherever she happened 
to be, she had to run to them every little while, for 
nothing was so fascinating and wonderful as this deep, 
mysterious sound up in the tree-tops. Heidi would 
stand under them and listen ; she was never tired of 
seeing and hearing how the wind roared and rocked 
the trees with such might. 

The sun was no longer hot, as in summer, and Heidi 
brought out her shoes and stockings and also her little 
coat ; for it grew cooler and cooler. When she stood 
under the fir trees the wind blew through her as if she 
were a thin leaf, but she kept running back again and 
could not stay in the house when she heard the wind. 

Then it grew cold, and Peter breathed on his hands 
when he came early in the morning, but not for long, 
for suddenly one night a deep snow fell. When the 
sun rose, the whole Aim was white, and not a single 
green leaf was to be seen anywhere about. 


AT THE GRANDMOTHER'S. 


49 


After this goatherd Peter came no more with his 
flock; and Heidi looked with amazement out of the 
little window, for it was beginning to snow again ; and 
big flakes fell thick and fast, until the snow came up 
to the window, and then still higher, until they could not 
open the window, and they were completely buried in 
the little house. This made Heidi so merry that she 
kept running from one window to the other to see how 
it was increasing and whether the snow would cover the 
entire hut, so that they would need to have a light in 
the middle of the day. It was not so bad as that ; and 
the following day the grandfather went out with his 
shovel, for the storm was over. He piled up great 
heaps of snow, so that there seemed to be mountains 
of it all around the hut. 

Now the windows and the door were free, and it was 
fortunate ; for as Heidi and her grandfather were sitting 
in the afternoon on their three-legged stools, suddenly 
there was a great knocking and stamping against the 
threshold, and finally the door opened. It was Peter 
the goatherd ; but he had not kicked against the door 
through rudeness, but in order to beat off the snow 
from his shoes. Indeed, Peter was covered with snow, 
for he had been obliged to struggle through the high 
drifts ; so that great lumps remained clinging to him, 
frozen fast by the sharp cold. But he had not given 
up, for he was anxious to reach Heidi, whom he had 
not seen for a whole long week. 

“ Good-afternoon,” said he as he entered, then 
placed himself as near as possible to the fire and 


50 


HEIDI. 


made no further remark ; but his whole face beamed 
with pleasure at being there. Heidi looked at him 
wonderingly ; for now that he was so near the fire, he 
began to thaw all over, so that he looked like a little 
waterfall. 

“Well, general, how are you?” asked the grand- 
father. “Now you are without an army and must 
bite your slate pencil.” 

“Why must he bite his slate pencil, grandfather?” 
asked Heidi at once with curiosity. 

“ In winter he has to go to school,” explained the 
grandfather. “There you learn to read and write, and 
often it is hard work ; so it helps a little if you bite 
your slate pencil. Is n’t it so, general ? ” 

“Yes, it is so,” said Peter. 

Heidi’s interest in the matter was now aroused, and 
she had to ask Peter a great many questions about the 
school and everything that happened and was to be 
seen and heard there. As much time was always spent 
in any conversation in which Peter was obliged to take 
part, the result was that meanwhile he was able to get 
well dried from top to toe. It was always a great effort 
for him to put his thoughts into words — to express his 
meaning ; but this time it was unusually difficult, for 
he had scarcely succeeded in giving one answer before 
Heidi put two or three more unexpected questions and 
mostly such as required a whole sentence in reply. 

The grandfather had kept quite still during this con- 
versation, but the corners of his mouth had twitched with 
amusement, and this was a sign that he was listening. 


AT THE GRANDMOTHER'S. 


51 


“ Well, general, now you have been under fire and 
need strengthening. Come, stay to supper with us ! ” 
Whereupon the grandfather rose and brought the 
evening meal from the cupboard, and Heidi pushed 
the stools to the table. Next the wall there was still 
another seat, which the grandfather had made and fas- 
tened there. Now that he was no longer alone, he had 
fashioned here and there all sorts of seats for two ; for 
Heidi had a way of always keeping near him wher- 
ever he went. So they all three had good seats ; and 
Peter opened his round eyes very wide when he saw 
what a big piece of the fine dried meat the Aim-Uncle 
laid on his thick slice of bread. Peter had not had 
anything so good for a long time. When the pleasant 
meal was over, it began to grow dark, and Peter started 
for home. When he had said “good-night ” and “ God 
bless you” and was already in the doorway, he turned 
round once more and said : — 

“Next Sunday I will come again — a week from 
to-day; and you must come to my grandmother’s some- 
time ; she said so.” 

It was a new idea to Heidi that she should go to 
visit some one, but it took root on the spot, and on the 
following morning Heidi’s first words were : — 

“Grandfather, now I must really go down to the 
grandmother’s ; she expects me.” 

“There is too much snow,” replied the grandfather, 
putting her off. But the purpose was deeply seated in 
Heidi’s mind. After that not a day passed when Heidi 
did not say five or six times : — 


52 


HEIDI. 


“Grandfather, now I must really go; the grand- 
mother is expecting me.” 

On the fourth day, when the cold was so bitter that 
it cracked and creaked with every footstep outdoors, 
and the whole covering of snow was frozen hard all 
about, and yet the beautiful sun looked in at the window, 
Heidi, as she sat on her high stool eating her dinner, 
began her little speech again : — 

“ To-day I must really go to the grandmother’s ; she 
will be tired of waiting for me.” 

Then the grandfather rose from the dinner table, 
went up to the hayloft, brought down the thick bag 
that served as Heidi’s bed covering, and said : — 

“ Well, come along ! ” 

The child was greatly delighted and skipped after 
him out into the glistening world of snow. In the old 
fir trees it was now quite still ; the white snow lay on 
every bough, and the trees sparkled and shone all over 
in the sunshine so gloriously that Heidi jumped up and 
down with delight and kept exclaiming: — 

“ Come out, grandfather ! come out ! The fir trees 
are all covered with real silver and gold !” 

The grandfather had gone into the shop and now 
came out with a wide sled. It had a handle fastened 
to the side, and from the low seat one could hold the 
feet out in front against the snowy ground and steer 
with one or the other in the required direction. 

After the grandfather had first looked all around the 
fir trees with Heidi, he seated himself on the sled, took 
the child in his lap, wrapped her up in the bag, so that 


AT THE GRANDMOTHER'S. 


53 


she might be warm and comfortable, and held her tight 
with his left arm, as this was very necessary for the 
coming journey. Then with his right hand he seized 
the handle and gave a push with both feet. The sled 
shot away down the mountain with such swiftness that 
Heidi thought she was flying through the air like a bird 
and shouted with joy. 

Suddenly the sled stood still in front of Peter the 
goatherd’s hut. The grandfather put the child on the 
ground, unwrapped her covering, and said : — 

“ Now go in, and when it begins to grow dark, come 
out again and start along on the way home.” 

Then he turned round with his sled and drew it up 
the mountain. 

Heidi opened the door and went into a little room 
which looked black. There was a fireplace in it and 
some bowls on a stand. This was the kitchen. Then 
came another door, which Heidi also opened. This led 
into a small sitting-room ; for this was not a Swiss cot- 
tage, like her grandfather’s, with one single, large room 
and a loft above it, but a very old little house, where 
everything was small, narrow, and shabby. 

When Heidi stepped into the little sitting-room, she 
stood right in front of a table by which sat a woman 
mending Peter’s jacket. Heidi immediately recognized 
it. In the corner sat an old, bent grandmother spin- 
ning. Heidi knew at once who she was. She went 
straight to the spinning wheel and said : — 

“ How do you do, grandmother ? I have come to see 
you. Did you think it was a long time before I came ? ” 


54 


HEIDI. 


The grandmother raised her head and sought for the 
hand held out to her. When she found it, she felt of 
it for some time thoughtfully ; then she said : — 

“Are you the child staying up with the Aim-Uncle? 
Are you Heidi ? ” 

“Yes, yes,” replied the child; “I have just come 
down with my grandfather on the sled.” 

“ Is that possible ! Your hand is so warm ! Say, 
Brigitte, did the Aim-Uncle himself come down with 
the child ? ” 

Peter’s mother, Brigitte, who was mending by the 
table, had risen and was now examining the child with 
curiosity from head to foot ; then she said : — 

“ I don’t know, mother, whether the uncle himself 
came with her or not ; it is not likely ; the child may 
be mistaken.” 

But Heidi looked straight at the woman and said 
sturdily : — 

“ I know very well who wrapped me up in the cov- 
erlet and brought me down on the sled. It was my 
grandfather.” 

“ Then there must be something in what Peter said 
last summer about the Aim-Uncle, although we thought 
he was not right,” said the grandmother. “ Who could 
really have believed that such a thing was possible ? I 
thought the child would n’t live three weeks up there ! 
How does she look, Brigitte ? ” 

Brigitte had studied her so thoroughly in the mean 
time that she could well describe her appearance. 

“ She has a delicate form like Adelheid,” she replied ; 


AT THE GRANDMOTHER'S. 


55 


“but she has black eyes and curly hair, like Tobias and 
also like the old man up there. I believe she looks like 
them both.” 

Meanwhile Heidi was not idle ; she had looked around 
and noticed everything. Now she said : — 

“ See, grandmother ! there is a shutter that keeps 
swinging back and forth. My grandfather would drive 
in a nail at once to hold it fast. It will break a pane 
of glass. See, see ! ” 

“Oh, you good child!” said the grandmother; “I 
cannot see it, but I can hear it and much more be- 
sides the shutter. Everything creaks and rattles when 
the wind blows, and it comes in everywhere. Every- 
thing is loose ; and often in the night when both the 
others are asleep, I am so anxious and afraid lest the 
whole house should tumble down over our heads and 
kill us all three; and there is no man to mend any- 
thing about the hut, for Peter does n’t know how.” 

“ But why can’t you see how the shutter swings, 
grandmother? See! there it goes again — there, there, 
there ! ” and Heidi pointed with her finger directly 
toward the place. 

“ Ah, child ! I can see nothing at all, nothing at all ; 
the shutter or anything else,” said the grandmother 
mournfully. 

“ But if I go out and open the shutter wide so that 
it will be quite light ; can you see then, grandmother ? ” 

“ No, no, not even then ! No one can make it light 
for me again ! ” 

“ But if you go out in the white snow, then it will 


56 


HEIDI. 


surely be light for you. Just come with me, grand- 
mother ; I will show you.” 

Heidi took the grandmother by the hand to lead her 
out, for she was beginning to be distressed because it 
did not seem light anywhere to the old dame. 

“ Let me sit still, you good child ! It would be dark 
to me even in the snow and in the light. My eyes 
cannot see ! ” 

“But then in the summer time, grandmother,” said 
Heidi, still anxiously seeking some way out of the dif- 
ficulty ; “you know when the sun comes down quite 
hot and then says ‘ good-night * to the mountains, and 
they shine fiery red, and all the yellow flowers glisten ; 
then it will be light to you, won’t it ? ” 

“ Ah, child ! I can never see them any more. The 
fiery mountains and the golden flowers above us will 
never more be bright to me on earth — nevermore.” 

Then Heidi burst into loud weeping. Full of dis- 
tress, she sobbed incessantly : — 

“ Who can make it light again for you ? Can no 
one ? Can no one at all ? ” 

The grandmother tried to comfort the child, but 
she did not soon succeed. Heidi hardly ever cried ; 
but when she once began, it was almost impossible 
for her to recover from her grief. 

The grandmother had tried every means to soothe 
the child, for it went to her heart to have her sob so 
pitifully. Finally she said : — 

“ Come, dear Heidi, come here ! I want to tell you 
something. When a person cannot see, it is so pleas- 


AT THE GRANDMOTHER'S. 


57 


ant to hear a friendly word, and I like to hear you talk. 
Come, sit down near me and tell me what you do up 
there and what your grandfather does. I used to know 
him well, but for many years I have heard nothing 
about him, except through Peter ; but Peter does n’t 
say much.” 

Then a new idea came to Heidi’s mind. She quickly 
wiped away her tears and said comfortingly : — 

“Just wait, grandmother; I will tell my grandfather 
all about it. He will make it light for you again, and 
he will fix the hut so that it won’t tumble down. He 
can make everything all right.” 

The grandmother remained silent. Then Heidi be- 
gan with great liveliness to tell about her life with her 
grandfather and the days she spent in the pasture ; 
about her present life in the winter, and what her 
grandfather made out of wood — benches and stools 
and lovely cribs to put hay in for Schwanli and Barli, 
and a large new water tub for bathing in summer, and 
a new milk bowl and spoon. Heidi grew still more 
eager in describing the beautiful things which were 
made out of a piece of wood, and how she staid near 
her grandfather and watched him, and how quickly he 
did everything. The grandmother listened with great 
interest and from time to time interrupted her with : — 

“ Do you hear that, Brigitte ? Do you hear what she 
says of the uncle ? ” 

Suddenly the story was interrupted by a great thump- 
ing at the door, and in stamped Peter. The boy im- 
mediately stood still and opened his round eyes wide 


58 


HEIDI. 


in astonishment at the sight of Heidi, and then a good- 
natured grin spread over his face as she said : “ Good- 
afternoon, Peter ! ” 

“ Is it possible that he has already come home 
from school ! ” exclaimed the grandmother in surprise. 
“No afternoon for many a year has passed so quickly ! 
Good-afternoon, Peterli ! How did you get on with 
the reading ? ” 

“Just the same,” answered Peter. 

“ Dear, dear ! ” said the grandmother with a little 
sigh ; “ I thought there might be a change ! Think ! 
You will be twelve years old next February ! ” 

“ Why should there be a change, grandmother ? ” 
asked Heidi at once with interest. 

“ I only thought he might be able to learn some- 
thing,” said the grandmother ; “ learn to read, I mean. 
Up there on the shelf I have an old prayer-book with 
beautiful hymns in it which I have not heard for so 
long that I cannot remember them ; so I thought if 
Peterli could only learn, he would perhaps be able to 
read some of the verses to me. But he cannot learn ; 
it is too hard for him.” 

“ I think I must get a light, it is already quite dark,” 
said Peter’s mother, who had been busy mending the 
jacket all the while. “ The afternoon has gone before 
I was aware of it, either.” 

Then Heidi jumped up from her chair, quickly 
reached out her hand and said : — 

“Good-night, grandmother! I must go home right 
away, if it is growing dark ” ; and Peter and his mother 


AT THE GRANDMOTHER'S. 


59 


shook hands with her, one after the other, and accom- 
panied her to the door. But the grandmother called 
out anxiously : — 

“ Wait, wait, Heidi ! You must not go alone. Peter 
must go with you ; do you hear ? And take care of the 
child, Peterli. Don’t let her fall down or stand still 
with her, for she might freeze. Do you hear ? And 
has she a good thick handkerchief round her neck ? ” 

“ I have no handkerchief at all ; but I shall not 
freeze,” Heidi called back. Then she went out at the 
door and slipped away so quickly that Peter could 
hardly follow her. 

But the grandmother called anxiously: — 

“ Run after her, Brigitte, run ! The child will be 
frozen — out so in the night. Take my neckerchief. 
Run quickly ! ” 

Brigitte obeyed. But the children had gone only a 
few steps up the mountain when they saw the grand- 
father coming down, and in a moment he was with 
them. 

‘‘Very good, Heidi,” said he; “you have kept your 
word ! ” He wrapped the coverlet round the child 
once more, took her in his arms and climbed up the 
mountain. Brigitte saw this and went back into the 
hut with Peter and told the grandmother in great 
surprise all about it. The grandmother was also sur- 
prised and kept saying: — 

“ God be praised and thanked that he is so good to 
her! God be praised and thanked! If he will only 
let her come to see me again ; for the child did me so 


60 


HEIDI. 


much good ! What a kind heart she has ! How amus- 
ingly she talks ! ” And until she went to bed she kept 
repeating : — 

“If she will only come again ! Now there is some- 
thing still left in the world to give me pleasure ! ” 

Brigitte agreed with her every time, and Peter nodded 
his head approvingly and stretched his mouth wide with 
delight, saying : — 

“ I knew it ! ” 

Meanwhile Heidi, wrapped in her bag, had much to 
say to her grandfather ; but as her voice did not pene- 
trate the eight-fold wrap, and he could not understand 
a word, he said : — 

“ Wait a little, until we get home ; then tell me 
about it.” 

As soon as he reached the hut and had taken off 
Heidi’s wrap, she said: — 

“ Grandfather, to-morrow we must take the hammer 
and the big nails and fasten the shutter at the grand- 
mother’s house, and drive a good many more nails; for 
everything creaks and rattles there.” 

“ We must ? We must do so ? Who told you that ? ” 
asked the grandfather. 

“ Nobody told me so ; I knew it without,” replied 
Heidi; “for everything is loose and it makes the 
grandmother anxious and afraid when the wind blows; 
and she can’t sleep. She thinks : ‘ Now everything will 
fall down on our heads.’ And nobody can make it 
light any more for the grandmother ! She does n’t 
know how any one can. But you can surely, grand- 


AT THE GRANDMOTHER'S. 


61 


father! Only think how sad it is for her to be 
always in the dark ! and nobody can help her but 
you ! To-morrow we will go ; won’t we, grandfather ? ” 

Heidi clung to her grandfather and looked up at 
him with undoubting confidence. The old man gazed 
at the child for a little while, then said : — 

“Yes, Heidi; we will make everything fast at the 
grandmother’s hut, so that there will be no more rat- 
tling. To-morrow we will do so.” 

Then the child jumped for joy all around the room 
and cried : — 

“To-morrow we will do it! To-morrow we will 
do it ! ” 

The grandfather kept his word. The following after- 
noon they took the same ride on the sled. The old 
man set the child down before the door and said : 
“ Now go in, and when it is night come back.” Then 
he laid the bag on the sled and went around the house. 

Scarcely had Heidi opened the door and run into 
the room, when the grandmother called out from her 
corner : — - 

“ Here comes the child ! It is the child ! ” 

She dropped her thread and stopped the wheel for 
joy, and held out both hands. 

Heidi immediately pushed the little low chair quite 
near, sat down in it, and had a great many more things 
to tell her and to ask her. But suddenly there was a 
heavy pounding on the house. It startled the grand- 
mother so that she nearly upset the spinning wheel 
and, trembling, cried out: — 


62 


HEIDI. 


“ Oh, clear me ! it has come at last ; the hut is all 
tumbling to pieces.” 

But Heidi held her fast by the arm and said consol- 
ingly : — 

“ No, no, grandmother ; don’t be afraid, it is grand- 
father with his hammer ; he is going to mend every- 
* thing so that you won’t be worried and afraid any 
longer.” 

“ Oh ! is it possible ? Is such a thing possible ? So 
•the dear Lord has not entirely forgotten us ! ” exclaimed 
the grandmother. “ Did you hear that, Brigitte, did 
you hear what it is ? It is really a hammer ! Go out, 
Brigitte, and if it is the Aim-Uncle tell him he must 
come in a moment and let me thank him.” 

Brigitte went out. The Aim-Uncle was just driving 
new fastenings into the wall ; Brigitte went toward him 
and said : — 

“ I wish you good-afternoon, uncle, and so does my 
mother ; and I want to thank you for doing us such a 
service, and so does my mother indoors. Surely no one 
else would do such a thing for us, and we want to thank 
you for it, for surely ” — 

“ That will do,” interrupted the old man ; “ what you 
think of the Aim-Uncle I already know. Just go back 
into the house ; I can find out myself what needs to be 
done.” 

Brigitte at once obeyed, for the uncle had a way 
which people did not usually oppose. He pounded and 
hammered all around the hut ; then he climbed the nar- 
row little staircase up under the roof and kept on ham- 


AT THE GRANDMOTHER'S. 


63 


mering until he had driven the last nail he had brought 
with him. Meanwhile it had begun to grow dark; 
he had hardly come down and drawn his sled from 
behind the goat-shed when Heidi stepped out from the 
door. The grandfather wrapped her up in his arms 
and carried her as on the previous day, drawing the sled 
after him. 

Thus the winter passed. After many long years a 
joy had come into the blind grandmother’s dreary life, 
and her days were no more long and dark ; for now she 
always had something pleasant to anticipate. From 
early morning she listened for the tripping footstep, 
and when the door opened and the child actually came 
dancing in, then she always exclaimed joyfully: — 

“ God be praised ! She has come again ! ” 

Heidi would sit down by her side and prattle and talk 
merrily about everything she knew ; it made the time 
pass so quickly that the grandmother did not notice it, 
and not once did she ask as formerly : — 

“ Brigitte, is the day nearly over ? ” 

Every time that Heidi closed the door behind her 
she would say : — 

“ How short the afternoon has been, has n’t it, Bri- 
gitte ? ” and Brigitte would reply : “ To be sure, it seems 
to me we have hardly put away the dinner plates.” 

And the grandmother would say again : — 

“ If only the good Lord will preserve the child for 
me and keep the Aim-Uncle kind. Does she look well, 
Brigitte ? ” and every time Brigitte would answer : “ She 
looks like a rosy apple.” 


64 


HEIDI. 


Heidi had also a great fondness for the old grand- 
mother, and whenever it came to her mind that no 
one, not even her grandfather, could make it light for 
her again, a great feeling of sorrow came over her ; but 
the grandmother assured her that she suffered least 
when she was with her, so Heidi came down on the 
sled every fine winter’s day. The grandfather, without 
making any objection, had brought her, always carrying 
his hammer and other things ; and he spent many an 
afternoon working about Peter’s hut. It had a good 
result ; there was no more creaking and rattling, and 
the grandmother said she should never forget the uncle, 
for she had not been able to sleep well for many a long 
winter. 


CHAPTER V. 


TWO VISITS AND THEIR CONSEQUENCES. 

Quickly passed the winter, and still more quickly 
the merry summer following ; and a new winter was 
already drawing to an end. Heidi was as happy and 
contented as the birds of the air, and rejoiced more and 
more every day in the approaching spring, when the 
warm south wind would blow through the fir trees and 
drive away the snow ; then the bright sunshine would 
call forth the blue and yellow flowers, and the days in 
the pasture would come again — days which to Heidi 
brought the greatest pleasure that earth could give. 

Heidi was now in her eighth year; she had learned 
all sorts of handiwork from her grandfather. She could 
go around with the goats as if she were one of them, 
and Schwanli and Barli followed her like trusty dogs, 
bleating loudly for joy if they merely heard her 
voice. 

This winter Peter had already brought word twice 
from the school-teacher in Dorfli that the Aim-Uncle 
ought to send the child living with him to school, for 
she was more than old enough and should have .gone 
the winter before. The uncle had sent word back to 
the school-teacher both times that if he wanted anything 
of him he would find him at home, but that he should 

65 


66 


HEIDI. 


not send the child to school. This message Peter had 
faithfully delivered. 

When the March sun had melted the snow on the 
slopes, and the snowdrops were in bloom everywhere 



in the valley, when the fir trees on the Aim had shaken 
off their burden of snow, and their branches again 
waved merrily — then Heidi in her delight kept running 
back and forth from the house to the goat-shed, and 
from the goat-shed to the fir trees, and then into the 
hut to her grandfather to tell him how much larger the 


TWO VISITS AND THEIR CONSEQUENCES. 


67 


piece of green ground had grown under the trees. Then 
she would immediately run back to look again, for she 
could not wait until everything should be green once 
more, and the lovely summer with its verdure and bloom 
return to the mountain. 

One sunny March morning, when Heidi was running 
back and forth in this way, and was jumping over the 
threshold for about the tenth time, she nearly fell back- 
wards into the house from^ fright; for suddenly there 
appeared before her an old man all in black, who looked 
at her very earnestly. But when he saw how startled 
she was, he said kindly : — 

“You must not be afraid of me; I love children. 
Give me your hand! You must be Heidi; where is 
your grandfather ? ” 

“ He is sitting at the table, carving round spoons out 
of wood,” replied Heidi, opening the door. 

It was the old pastor from Dorfli, who had known the 
uncle well years before, when he still lived in the valley 
and was one of his neighbors. He stepped into the hut, 
went up to the old man, who was bending over his wood- 
carving, and said : — 

“ Good-morning, neighbor ! ” 

The grandfather looked up in surprise ; • the next 
instant he rose and replied: — 

“Good-morning, pastor.” Then he offered him his 
stool, saying : “ If the pastor does not object to a 
wooden seat, here is one.” 

The pastor sat down. After a moment he said : — 

“ I have not seen you for a long time, neighbor.” 


68 


HEIDI. 


“Nor have I seen you, pastor,” was the answer. 

“ I come to-day to talk with you about something,” 
continued the pastor. “ I think you already know what 
the matter is which I am going to speak about, and I 
want to hear what your intention is.” 

The pastor remained silent and looked at the child, 
standing in the doorway and attentively watching the 
new apparition. 

“Heidi, go out to the goats,” said the grandfather. 
“You may take a little salt along and stay with them 
until I come.” 

Heidi immediately disappeared. 

“The child should have been sent to school a year 
ago, and she certainly ought to have gone this winter,” 
said the pastor ; “ the teacher has sent you word about 
it, but you have made no reply. What do you intend 
to do with her, neighbor ? ” 

“ I do not intend to send her to school,” was the 
answer. 

The pastor looked in surprise at the old man as he 
sat with folded arms on his bench and looked very 
determined. 

“What are you going to make of the child?” then 
asked the pastor. 

“ Nothing ; she grows and thrives with the goats and 
the birds ; she is well enough with them, and she learns 
no harm from them.” 

“ But the child is neither a goat nor a bird ; she is a 
human being. If she learns no harm from such com- 
panions, neither does she learn anything else ; she ought 


TWO VISITS AND THEIR CONSEQUENCES. 


69 


to learn something, and the time for it has arrived. I 
have come to tell you now, neighbor, so that you may 
be able to think it over and make your arrangements 
during the summer. This is the last winter that the 
child can spend without any instruction ; next winter 
she must go to school, and every day.” 

“I shall not do it, pastor,” said the old man de- 
cidedly. 

“ Do you really suppose, then, that there is no means 
of bringing you to terms if you will persist so obsti- 
nately in your unreasonable behavior ? ” said the pastor 
somewhat warmly. “You have been about the world 
a great deal and have had an opportunity to see and 
learn much, and I should give you credit for better 
sense, neighbor.” 

“ Indeed ! ” said the old man ; and his voice showed 
that he was no longer so perfectly calm in his mind ; 
“and does the pastor suppose that I would really send 
a delicate child next winter on icy mornings through 
storm and snow down the mountain, a two hours’ 
journey, and let her come back again at night, when 
it often blusters and rages so that any one of us would 
be lost in the wind and snow, and she only a little 
child? Possibly the pastor can recall her mother, 
Adelheid ; she used to walk in her sleep and have ill 
turns. Shall the child, too, be made to suffer from 
such a struggle ? Just let any one come and try to 
compel me ! I will go into every court with her, and 
then we shall see who is going to compel me ! ” 

“ You are quite right, neighbor,” said the pastor with 


70 


HEIDI. 


friendliness ; “ it would not be possible to send the child 
from here to school. But I can see that she is dear to 
you ; for her sake do what you ought to have done long 
ago ; come down into Dorfli and live once more with 
human beings. What kind of a life is this up here, 
alone and embittered toward God and man ? If any- 
thing should happen to you up here, who would help 
you ? I cannot understand in the least why you are 
not half frozen all winter long in your hut, and how can 
the delicate child endure it ? ” 

“ The child has young blood and good shelter ; that I 
can assure you, pastor. Moreover, I know where there 
is wood, and also when it is a good time to get it ; the 
pastor ought to look into my shed ; there is enough 
there so that the fire in my hut never goes out all win- 
ter long. It is not for me to go down into the valley 
as the pastor suggests ; the people down there despise 
me and I despise them, so it is better for both that we 
remain apart.” 

“ No, no ; it is not good for you ; I know what the 
trouble is,” said the pastor earnestly. “ As to the peo- 
ple scorning you down in the valley, it is not so bad. 
Believe me, neighbor, seek to make peace with your 
God ; ask for his pardon if you have done any wrong, 
and then come and see how differently the people re- 
gard you, and how well it can still be with you.” 

The pastor rose, held out his hand to the old man, 
and said again with heartiness : — 

“ I count upon it, neighbor, that next winter you 
are to come down with us, for we are good old friends. 


TWO VISITS AND THEIR CONSEQUENCES. 71 

I should feel very sorry if you had to be forced ; give 
me your hand on it that you will come down and live 
among us again, reconciled to God and man.” 

The Aim-Uncle gave his hand to the pastor, but 
said firmly and decidedly : — 

“ The pastor means well toward me, but I cannot do 
what he expects ; that I tell him surely and finally. I 
shall not send the child, neither shall I come down 
myself.” 

“Then God help you!” said the pastor, and went 
sadly out of the hut and down the mountain. 

The Aim-Uncle was out of sorts. In the afternoon 
when Heidi said, “ Now let us go to the grandmother’s,” 
he replied curtly: “Not to-day.” 

He did not speak again all day, and on the following 
morning when Heidi asked, “Are we going to the 
grandmother’s to-day?” he still answered shortly and 
merely said : “ We shall see.” 

Before the bowls had been put away after dinner 
another visitor came to the door. It was Aunt Dete. 
She had on her head a fine hat with a feather in it, and 
a dress which swept up everything on the floor, and in 
the hut lay all sorts of things which would not improve 
a dress. 

The uncle looked at her from top to toe and said not 
a word. But Aunt Dete had a very friendly speech in 
her mind, for she immediately began to flatter him by 
saying that Heidi was looking so well that she hardly 
recognized her, and that it was plain to be seen that 
she had not fared ill with her grandfather. She had 


72 


HEIDI. 


really always intended to take her away again, for she 
understood very well that the little one must be a 
trouble to him, but never at any time before had she 
been able to find a place for her. But day and night 
she had wondered how she could provide for the child, 
and to-day she had come because she had suddenly 
heard of something which would be such good luck to 
Heidi that she could hardly believe it. She had gone 
at once to see about the matter, and now she could say 
it was as good as settled, and not one in a hundred 
thousand was so fortunate as Heidi. 

“ Some very wealthy relatives of my mistress, who 
live in almost the finest house in all Frankfurt, have an 
only daughter who is obliged to sit all the time in a 
wheel chair, because she is lame and not well in other 
ways. So she is almost always alone and obliged to study 
alone with a teacher, which is very dull for her ; and, 
besides, she would like to have a playmate in the house.” 

This had been spoken about at her employer’s house, 
and her mistress, who felt great sympathy for the little 
invalid, was anxious to find such a companion as the 
housekeeper described. 

The housekeeper had said she wanted an unspoiled 
child, not like those seen evfery day. Then Aunt Dete 
had at once thought of Heidi and hastened immediately 
to tell her all about the child and her character ; and 
the lady engaged to have her come. “ It was impossible 
to tell what good fortune was before Heidi, for when 
she was once there, if she pleased the people, and some- 
thing might possibly happen to the only daughter — 


TWO VISITS AND THEIR CONSEQUENCES. 73 

there was no knowing, she was so sickly — and if the 
people should not care to be left without any child, the 
most unheard-of good luck might” — 

‘‘Will you ever finish?” interrupted the uncle, who 
had not said a word all this time. 

“Bah,” retorted Dete, tossing her head. “You act 
exactly as if I had told you the most ordinary thing in 
the world, and there is n’t a single person throughout 
all Prattigau who would n’t thank God in Heaven if I 
brought such news to them as I have brought to you.” 

“ Take it to any one you like ; I will have none of 
it,” said the uncle bluntly. 

Dete went off like a rocket and said : — 

“Well, if that is what you think about it, uncle, I 
will tell you what I think ; the child is now eight years 
old and can do nothing and knows nothing, and you 
will not let her learn anything. You will not send her 
to school nor to church ; that they told me down in 
Dorfli; and she is my own sister’s child. I have to 
answer for what happens to her ; and when a child can 
have such good fortune as Heidi, there can only be one 
person to prevent, and that one who cares for nobody 
and wishes nobody any good. But I won’t give in ; that 
I can tell you ; and the people are all in my favor ; there 
is n’t a single person down in Dorfli who will not help me, 
and is not against you ; so take heed if you don’t care 
to be brought before the court, uncle ; there are things 
that might be brought up which you would not like to 
hear, for when a man once gets into court many things 
are hunted up that he has forgotten all about.” 


74 


HEIDI , ; 


“ Silence ! ” roared the uncle ; and his eyes blazed 
like fire. “Take her and be gone! Never bring her 
into my sight again. I never want to see her with 
feathers in her hat and words in her mouth such as 
you have spoken to-day ! ” 

The uncle strode out of the house. 

“ You have made my grandfather angry,” said Heidi ; 
and her black eyes snapped at her aunt in no friendly 
way. 

“ He will soon be all right again. Now come,” 
urged the aunt; “where are your clothes?” 

“ I will not come,” said Heidi. 

“ What do you say ? ” continued the aunt ; then she 
somewhat changed her tone of voice and went on in a 
half friendly, half annoyed way : — 

“ Come, come along, you don’t know any better ; you 
can’t imagine what a good time you will have.” She 
went to the cupboard, took out Heidi’s things and put 
them together. 

“ Now come, take your little hat, it does n’t look very 
well, but it will do for once ; put it on and make haste 
to come along.” 

“I shall not come,” answered Heidi. 

“ Don’t be so foolish and stubborn, like the goats ; 
you must have learned it from them. Listen to me ; 
your grandfather is angry ; you have just heard him 
say that we must never come into his sight again ; he 
wants you to go with me now, and you must not make 
him more angry. You have n’t the least idea how lovely 
it is in Frankfurt, and how many things you will see 


TWO VISITS AND THEIR CONSEQUENCES. 


75 


there ; and if you don’t like it you can come back here ; 
then the grandfather will be good-natured again.” 

“ Can I turn right round and come back again to- 
night?” 

“ Oh, come along ! I tell you, you can come home if 
you want to. To-day we will go as far as Mayenfeld, 
and to-morrow morning early we will get into the train, 
and in that you can get home again in no time ; it ’s like 
flying.” 

Aunt Dete took the bundle of clothes on her arm, and 
Heidi by the hand, and they started down the mountain. 

As it was not yet time to go to the pasture, Peter 
still went to school down in Dorfli, or was supposed to 
go there ; but he took a holiday now and then, for he 
thought it was of no use to go to school ; reading was 
not necessary, but a little wandering about and looking 
for large rods was profitable because he could make use 
of them. So he was just coming toward his hut from 
the farther side with a visible result of that day’s efforts 
in a huge long bundle of thick hazel rods which he car- 
ried on his shoulder. He stood still and stared at the 
two approaching figures until they reached him. 

“ Where are you going ? ” he asked. 

“ I am hurrying to Frankfurt with my aunt,” replied 
Heidi ; “but I will first go in to see the grandmother, 
for she is expecting me.” 

“ No, no ; no talking, it is already too late,” said the 
aunt hastily, and holding the struggling Heidi fast by 
the hand; “you can see her when you come back; 
so come along ! ” 


76 


HEIDI. 


Whereupon the aunt dragged Heidi off with her and 
did not let go, for she was afraid if she went in the 
child might refuse to go away, and that the grandmother 
might take her part. Peter ran into the hut and beat 
on the table with his whole bundle of rods, making such 
a frightful noise that the whole house trembled; the 
grandmother sprang up from her spinning wheel in 
alarm and cried out aloud. Peter had to give vent to 
his feelings. 

“ What is the matter ? What is the matter ? ” cried 
the grandmother with great concern ; and the mother, 
who had been sitting by the table and was almost 
startled out of her wits by the noise, said in her natu- 
rally patient way : — 

“ What is the matter, Peterli ? What makes you so 
wild ? ” 

“ Because she has taken Heidi away with her,” ex- 
plained Peter. 

“Who? who? Where, Peterli, where?” asked the 
grandmother with new concern ; she quickly guessed 
what had happened, for her daughter had told her a short 
time before that she had seen Dete go up to the Alm- 
Uncle’s. All trembling in her haste, the grandmother 
opened the window and called out beseechingly : — 

“ Dete, Dete, don’t take the child away from us ! 
Don’t take Heidi away from us ! ” 

The two travelers heard the voice, and Dete must 
have surmised what she said, for she took hold of the 
child more firmly than ever and ran as fast as she 
could. Heidi resisted and said: — 


TWO VISITS AND THEIR CONSEQUENCES. 77 

“The grandmother is calling; I want to go to 
her.” 

But the aunt would not allow it and pacified the 
child by telling her that they must hurry in order not 
to be too late, and that the next morning they could 
travel farther and she could then see whether it pleased 
her well enough in Frankfurt to be willing to stay there. 
If she wanted to come back home again, she could do 
so at once ; and then she could bring something to the 
grandmother which would delight her. This prospect 
pleased Heidi. She began to hurry without further 
objection. 

“What can I bring home to the grandmother?” she 
asked after a while. 

“ Something good,” said the aunt ; “ some lovely, soft 
white rolls that will please her ; for she can hardly eat 
the hard black bread any longer.” 

“Yes; she always gives it back to Peter and says: 
Tt is too hard for me.’ I have seen that myself,” stated 
Heidi. “ So let us go fast, Aunt Dete ; then, perhaps, 
we shall reach Frankfurt to-day, so that I can soon be 
back again with the rolls.” 

Heidi then began to run so fast that Dete, with her 
bundle in her arms, could hardly keep up with her. But 
she was very glad that she went so swiftly ; for they 
were coming to the first houses in Dorfli, and there 
everybody would make remarks and ask questions, 
which might set Heidi to thinking again. So she 
hurried straight through, and the child pulled so hard 
at her hand that all the people could see that she was 


78 


HEIDI. 


obliged to hasten to please the child. So she merely 
replied to those who questioned and called to her from 
every door and window : — 

“You see I can’t stop now, for the child is in a 
hurry, and we have still far to go.” 

“Are you taking her away? Is she running away 
from the Aim-Uncle ? It ’s only a' wonder that she is 
still alive ! And yet what rosy cheeks she has ! ” 

Such remarks as these came from every side ; and 
Dete was glad that she came through the place without 
delay and without being obliged to make any explana- 
tion, and also that Heidi said never a word, but only 
pushed on in the greatest haste. 

From that day on the Aim-Uncle looked more ill- 
natured than ever when he came down and passed 
through Dorfli. He spoke to no one; and with his 
cheese basket on his back, his enormous staff in his 
hand, and his thick, contracted brows, he looked so 
menacing that the women said to the little children : — 
“Take care ! Get out of the Alm-Uncle’s way or he 
may hurt you ! ” 

The old man had nothing to do with any one in 
Dorfli, but went through there far down into the valley, 
where he sold his cheeses and procured his supply of 
bread and meat. When he passed along through Dorfli 
the people all stood in groups behind him, and every 
one knew some strange thing about the Aim-Uncle; 
how he grew more wild-looking, and no longer even so 
much as greeted any one. All were agreed that it was 
fortunate that the child was able to escape ; for they 


TWO VISITS AND THEIR CONSEQUENCES. 79 

had seen how she hurried away as if she were afraid 
the old man was coming after her to bring her back. 

The blind grandmother was the only one who stood 
by the Aim-Uncle ; and she always told every one who 
came up to her house, to bring spinning or to get yarn, 
how good and care-taking he had been to the child, and 
what he had done for her and her daughter ; how many 
afternoons he had worked about their little house, which 
would surely have tumbled to pieces without his help. 
So this information also reached Dorfli; but most 
people who heard it said that perhaps the grand- 
mother was too old to understand rightly about it ; 
for she could np longer hear well, while she could not 
see at all. 

The Aim-Uncle showed himself no longer at Peter’s 
hut ; it was a good thing that it had been so well 
repaired, for it remained for a long time untouched. 

The blind grandmother now began the day with 
sighs, and not one passed that she did not say sor- 
rowfully : — 

“Ah! with the child all joy and good have been 
taken away from us, and the days are so empty ! If 
I could only hear Heidi’s voice once more before I 
die ! ” 


CHAPTER VI. 


A NEW CHAPTER AND ENTIRELY NEW SCENES. 

In the house of Herr Sesemann, in Frankfurt, reclined 
the little sick daughter, Klara, in her comfortable wheel 
chair. She spent the whole day in it and was pushed 
from one room to another. She was now in the so-called 
library, next the large dining-room, and here all sorts of 
articles were scattered about for comfort, showing that 
it was used as the living-room. From the beautiful, 
large bookcase one could see how it had been named, 
and that it was the place where the little lame girl 
received her daily instruction. 

Klara had a pale, thin face, out of which looked two 
gentle blue eyes, at this moment directed toward the 
large wall clock, which seemed to go unusually slow ; 
for Klara, who was hardly ever impatient, now said with 
some uneasiness : — 

“Isn’t it time yet, Fraulein Rottenmeier ? ” 

Fraulein Rottenmeier sat very upright in a little sew- 
ing-chair and was embroidering. She wore a mysterious 
wrap, a large cape, or sort of cloak, which gave her a 
solemn appearance, and was accentuated by a kind of 
high dome, which she had on her head. Fraulein 
Rottenmeier, since the death of Klara’s mother many 
years before, had been in charge of everything in the 

80 


A NEW CHAP TEE AND NEW SCENES. 


81 


Sesemann household. Herr Sesemann was away most 
of the time and left the whole house in Fraulein Rot- 
tenmeier’s care, but with the condition that his little 
daughter should have a voice in everything, and that 
nothing should be done contrary to her wishes. 

While Klara, with signs of impatience, was for the 
second time asking Fraulein Rottenmeier whether it 
was not time for the expected guests to arrive, Dete, 
holding Heidi by the hand, was standing at the entrance 
door below, asking the coachman Johann, who had just 
jumped down from the carriage, whether she might ven- 
ture to disturb Fraulein Rottenmeier at so late an hour. 

“ That is not my business,” growled the coachman ; 
“ring for Sebastian, inside there in the corridor.” 

Dete did as he told her ; and the butler, with big 
buttons on his coat and round eyes almost as big in his 
head, came down the stairs. 

“ I would like to ask whether I may venture to dis- 
turb Fraulein Rottenmeier at this hour.” 

“That is not my business,” answered the butler; 
“ ring the other bell for the maid Tinette ” ; and without 
further information Sebastian disappeared. 

Dete rang again. This time the maid Tinette ap- 
peared on the stairs, with a little cap, dazzlingly white, 
on the middle of her head and a scornful expression on 
her face. 

“ What is it ? ” she asked from the stairs, without 
coming down. Dete repeated her request. Tinette 
disappeared, but soon came back again and called down 
the stairs : — 


82 


HEIDI ; 


“ You are expected.” 

Dete, with Heidi, then went up the stairs and, follow- 
ing Tinette, entered the library. Here Dete remained 
politely standing by the door ; she still held Heidi fast 
by the hand, for she was not quite sure what the child 
might take it into her head to do in this strange place. 

Fraulein Rottenmeier slowly rose from her seat and 
came nearer, in order to scrutinize the newly arrived 
companion for the daughter of the house. Her appear- 
ance did not seem to please her. Heidi had on her 
plain cotton dress and her old crushed straw hat. Her 
eyes peered forth very innocently from under it and 
looked with unconcealed amazement at the construction 
on the lady’s head. 

“ What is your name ? ” asked Fraulein Rottenmeier, 
after having looked searchingly for some minutes at the 
child, who never took her eyes away from her. 

“ Heidi,” she replied distinctly, in a ringing voice. 

“ What ? what ? That can surely be no Christian 
name. Then you can’t have been baptized. What 
name was given you in baptism ? ” asked Fraulein 
Rottenmeier further. 

“That I do not know,” replied Heidi. 

“ What an answer! ” exclaimed the lady, shaking her 
head. “ Dete, is the child foolish or pert ? ” 

“ If the lady will allow me, I will speak for the child, 
for she is very inexperienced,” said Dete, after she had 
given Heidi a little nudge on the sly for her unbecoming 
answer. “ She is neither foolish nor pert, for she knows 
nothing about it ; she means just what she says. But 


A NEW CHAPTER AND NEW SCENES. 


83 


this is the first time she has ever been in a gentleman’s 
house, and she knows nothing about good manners ; 
she is willing and quick to learn if the lady will have 
forbearance. She was baptized Adelheid, like her 
mother, my late sister.” 

“ Well ! that is a name that can be pronounced,” 
observed Fraulein Rottenmeier. “ But, Dete, I must 
tell you that she is a remarkable-looking child for her 
age. I informed you that Fraulein Klara’s companion 
must be of her age, in order to pursue the same studies 
with her and, especially, to share her occupations. Frau- 
lein Klara is more than twelve years old ; how old is 
this child ? ” 

“With the lady’s permission,” Dete began again, “I 
can’t quite recollect just how old she is ; to be sure, she 
must be somewhat younger, but not very much. I can’t 
say exactly ; but she may be about the tenth year, or 
nearly that, I should think.” 

“ I am eight now ; grandfather said so,” explained 
Heidi. The aunt nudged her again ; but Heidi had not 
the least suspicion why and was not at all embarrassed. 

“ What ? Only eight years old ! ” exclaimed Fraulein 
Rottenmeier with some indignation. “ Four years too 
little ! What does it mean ? What have you learned ? 
And what books have you studied ? ” 

“ None,” said Heidi. 

“ What ? what ? How did you learn to read then ? ” 
asked the lady again. 

“ I have never learned to read ; neither has Peter,” 
stated Heidi. 


84 


HEIDI ; 


“ Good gracious ! you cannot read ! You really can- 
not read!” exclaimed Fraulein Rottenmeier with the 
greatest horror. “ Is it possible that you are unable to 
read ? What have you learned, then ? ” 

“ Nothing,” said Heidi in strict accordance with the 
truth. 

“ Dete,” said Fraulein Rottenmeier, after some min- 
utes, in which she tried to compose herself ; “ this is 
not according to the agreement. How could you bring 
me this creature ? ” 

But Dete was not so easily abashed ; she answered 
eagerly : — 

“ If the lady will allow me, the child is exactly what 
I thought the lady wanted ; the lady explained to me 
that she must be quite different and not at all like other 
children, and so I brought this little one ; for the larger 
ones among us are not so different, and I thought this 
one answered the description perfectly. But I must be 
going. My mistress is expecting me ; if she will allow 
me, I will come again soon and see how she gets 
along.” 

With a courtesy Dete went out of the door and down 
the stairs as fast as she could go. Fraulein Rottenmeier 
stood still for a moment, then ran after Dete. It sud- 
denly occurred to her that she wished to talk with the 
aunt about a number of things if the child was really 
going to remain ; and here she was, and, as she saw, 
the aunt was determined to leave her. 

Heidi remained on the spot by the door where 
she had stood from the first. Until then Klara had 


A NEW CHAPTER AND NEW SCENES. 85 

watched everything in silence from her chair. Now 
she beckoned to Heidi: — 

“ Come here ! ” 

Heidi went to the wheel chair. 

“ Would you rather be called Heidi or Adelheid ? ” 
asked Klara. 

“ My name is Heidi and nothing else,” was Heidi’s 
reply. 

“ Then I will always call you so,” said Klara. “ I 
like the name for you ; I have never heard it before, 
but I have never seen a child before that looks like you. 
Have you always had such short, curly hair ? ” 

“Yes, I think so,” answered Heidi. 

“ Did you want to come to Frankfurt ? ” asked Klara 
again. 

“ No ; but to-morrow I am going back home again 
to carry the grandmother some white rolls,” explained 
Heidi. 

“You are a strange child!” said Klara. “They 
have brought you to Frankfurt expressly to stay with 
me and study with me, and you see now it will be very 
funny, because you don’t know how to read at all, and 
there will be something entirely new in the study hours. 
It has often been so frightfully tedious, and it seems as 
if the morning would never end. You see, the Herr 
Kandidat comes every morning at ten o’clock, and 
then the lessons begin and last until two, and it is so 
long ! The Herr Kandidat often puts his book close to 
his face, as if he had suddenly grown nearsighted, but 
he is only yawning frightfully behind it, and Fraulein 


86 


HEIDI. 


Rottenmeier, too, takes out her big handkerchief every 
now and then and buries her whole face in it as if she 
were very much affected by what we are reading ; but 
I know perfectly well that she is only yawning terribly. 
Then I want to yawn so badly, but I have to swallow it 
down, for if I yawn only one single time Fraulein Rot- 
tenmeier brings the cod-liver oil and says I am getting 
faint. Cod-liver oil is the very worst thing to take, so 
I prefer to smother the yawns. But now it will be 
less wearisome, for I can listen while you learn to 
read.” 

Heidi shook her head quite thoughtfully when she 
heard about learning to read. 

“ But, Heidi, you must learn to read, of course ; every 
one has to, and the Herr Kandidat is very good — he is 
never cross, and he will explain everything to you. 
But you see, when he explains anything, if you don’t 
understand at all about it you must just wait and say 
nothing, or else he will explain a great deal more and 
you will understand still less. But afterwards, when 
you have learned something and know it, then you will 
understand what he meant.” 

Just then Fraulein Rottenmeier came into the room ; 
she had not succeeded in calling Dete back and was 
evidently disturbed by it, for she had not been able 
to tell her exactly in what respect the child was not 
according to the agreement, and since she did not 
know what to do to retrace her steps she was all the 
more agitated, as she herself had proposed the whole 
thing. 


A NEW CHAPTER AND NEW SCENES. 


87 


She went from the library to the dining-room, and 
from there back again, and then immediately turned 
round and went to Sebastian, who passed his round 
eyes thoughtfully over the table, which was already laid, 
to see if there was any fault to be found with his work. 

“ Think your great thoughts to-morrow, and to-day 
get ready for us to come to the table.” 

With these words Fraulein Rottenmeier passed by 
Sebastian and called Tinette in such an ungracious 
tone that she came mincing along with even shorter 
steps than usual, and stood before her with such a 
mocking face that Fraulein Rottenmeier herself did 
not dare to speak angrily to her; so her irritation 
increased within her. 

“ The little visitor’s room is to be put in order, 
Tinette,” said the lady with forced calmness; “ every- 
thing is ready, but the furniture needs to be dusted.” 

“ It is well worth while,” said Tinette, sneeringly, 
and went out. 

Meanwhile Sebastian had opened the double doors 
of the library with considerable noise, for he was very 
angry, but did not dare to give vent to his feelings in 
words before Fraulein Rottenmeier; he then went 
quite calmly into the library to push out the wheel 
chair. While he was arranging the handle at the back 
of the chair Heidi placed herself in front of him and 
fixed her eyes upon him. He noticed it and suddenly 
burst forth: — 

“ Now what is there so extraordinary to look at ? ” 
he growled at Heidi, in a way he would not have spoken 


88 


HEIDI ; 


if he had seen Fraulein Rottenmeier. She was just com- 
ing into the room when Heidi replied : — 

‘‘You look just like Peter, the goatherd.” 

The lady clasped her hands in horror. “ Is it possi- 



ble ! ” she groaned half aloud. “ She is saying thou to 
the servants ! The creature lacks the most primitive 
ideas ! ” 

The chair came rolling along, and Klara was placed 
by Sebastian at the table. 

Fraulein Rottenmeier sat next her and beckoned to 


A NEW CHAPTER AND NEW SCENES. 


89 


Heidi to take the place opposite. No one else came 
to the table, and as the three sat far apart, there was 
plenty of room for Sebastian to serve his dishes. Next 
Heidi’s plate lay a lovely white roll; the child cast 
longing looks at it. The resemblance which Heidi 
had discovered must have aroused her entire confidence 
in Sebastian, for she sat as still as a mouse and did not 
move until he held out the large tray and offered her 
the fried fish ; then she pointed to the roll and said : — 

“ Can I have that ? ” 

Sebastian nodded and glanced at Fraulein Rotten- 
meier, for he wondered what impression the question 
would make on her. In a twinkling Heidi seized her 
roll and put it into her pocket. Sebastian made up a 
face to keep from laughing, for he knew very well that 
it was not allowable. He remained standing silently 
by Heidi, for he did not dare to speak, and neither did 
he dare to move away until he was bidden. Heidi 
looked at him for some time in amazement, and then 
asked : — 

“ Shall I eat some of that ? ” 

Sebastian nodded again. 

“Then give me some,” she said, looking calmly at 
her plate. 

Sebastian’s face grew very thoughtful, and the tray 
in his hand began to tremble dangerously. 

“You can put the tray on the table and come back 
again later,” said Fraulein Rottenmeier, looking severely 
at him. 

Sebastian at once disappeared. 


90 


HEIDI. 


“ As for you, Adelheid, I must positively give you 
some ideas ; I see that,” continued Fraulein Rotten- 
meier with a deep sigh. “ In the first place, I will 
tell you how to behave at the table”; and the lady ex- 
plained clearly and minutely everything that Heidi had 
to do. “Then,” she went on, “ I must impress it upon 
you particularly that you are not to speak to Sebastian 
at the table, unless you have some order to give, or 
some necessary question to ask.” 

She then told her how she was to address the differ- 
ent members of the household, ending with: “ Klara will 
tell you how she wishes you to call her.” 

“ Klara, of course,” said the little invalid. 

Then followed a multitude of instructions about ris- 
ing in the morning and going to bed, about coming in 
and going out, about shutting doors, and about orderli- 
ness in general. Meantime Heidi’s eyes closed, for she 
had been up since five o’clock and had taken a long 
journey. She leaned back in her chair and fell asleep. 
When Fraulein Rottenmeier finally came to the end of 
her instructions, she said : — 

“ Now think this all over ! Have you understood 
everything ? ” 

“ Heidi has been asleep for a long time,” said Klara, 
looking much amused ; the supper hour had not passed 
so quickly in a long time. 

“ I never in all my life saw the like of this child ! ” 
exclaimed Fraulein Rottenmeier in great vexation ; and 
she rang the bell so violently that Tinette and Sebastian 
both came rushing in together. In spite of all the con- 


A NEW CHAPTER AND NEW SCENES. 


91 


fusion Heidi did not wake, and they had the greatest 
difficulty in arousing her sufficiently to get her to her 
sleeping-room, first through the library, then through 
Klara’s bedroom and Fraulein Rottenmeier’s, to the 
corner chamber, which was now ready for the little 
girl. 


CHAPTER VII. 


FRAULEIN ROTTENMEIER HAS AN UNCOMFORT- 
ABLE DAY. 

When Heidi awoke, on her first morning in Frank- 
furt, she could not understand what she saw. She 
rubbed her eyes hard, then looked up again ; everything 
was the same. She was sitting in a high white bed 
in a large room ; where the light came in, hung long, 
long white curtains ; near by stood two chairs with large 
flowers on them ; then there was a sofa with the same 
flowers, and a round table in front of it, and in the cor- 
ner was a wash-stand on which were things that Heidi 
had never seen before. 

Suddenly she remembered that she was in Frankfurt, 
and everything that had happened the day before came 
back to her mind ; and finally she recalled quite clearly 
the lady’s instructions, as far as she had heard them. 

Heidi jumped from the bed and dressed herself. 
She went first to one window and then to the other, for 
she wanted to see the sky and earth outside ; she felt 
as if she were in a cage behind the long curtains. She 
could not push them aside, so she crawled in behind 
them in order to reach the window. But this was so 
high that her head hardly came up far enough to let 
her see out. Heidi did not find what she was looking 

92 


AN UNCOMFORTABLE DAY. 


93 


for. She ran from one window to the other and then 
back again ; but there was always the same thing be- 
fore her eyes, — walls and windows, and then walls and 
then windows again. 

This puzzled her. It was still early in the morning, 
for she was accustomed to rise betimes on the Aim, 
and then to run outdoors immediately to see if the 
sky was blue and the sun already up ; if the fir trees 
were murmuring, and the blue flowers had opened their 
eyes. As a little bird, placed for the first time in a 
handsome, glittering cage, flies back and forth and 
tries every bar to see if it cannot slip between and fly 
out and regain its freedom, so Heidi kept running 
from one window to the other, trying to open them, 
for she felt that there must be something to be seen 
besides walls and windows ; she felt sure that the 
ground underneath, with the green grass and the last 
melting snow on the cliffs, must come into sight, and 
she longed to see it. 

But the windows remained firmly closed, no matter 
how hard the child tugged and pulled and tried to get 
her little fingers under the sash. After some time, 
when she found that her exertions were of no avail, she 
gave up the plan and wondered how it would be if she 
were to go outdoors and around behind the house until 
she should come to some grass, for she remembered 
that the evening before she had walked over nothing 
but stones in front of the house. There was a knock 
at the door, and Tinette immediately thrust her head 
in and said curtly; — 


94 


HEIDI. 


“ Breakfast ’s ready ! ” 

Heidi did not in the least understand that these 
words meant an invitation ; Tinette’s scornful face 
seemed to warn her not to come too near her rather 
than to give a friendly summons, and Heidi understood 
this and acted accordingly. She took the little foot- 
stool out from under the table, placed it in a corner, 
sat down on it, and waited to see what would happen. 
After some time she heard a bustling, and Fraulein 
Rottenmeier, again in a state of irritation, came and 
called into Heidi’s room: — 

“What is the matter with you, Adelheid ? Don’t 
you understand what breakfast means ? Come down ! ” 

Heidi understood this, and at once followed her. 

Klara had been sitting some time in her place in the 
dining-room and gave Heidi a friendly greeting. She 
looked much more contented than usual, for she expected 
all sorts of strange things to happen that day. The 
breakfast passed without any disturbance ; Heidi ate 
her bread and butter properly enough, and after the 
meal was over Klara was rolled back into the library. 
Heidi was bidden by Fraulein Rottenmeier to follow 
and remain with Klara until the Herr Kandidat came 
to begin the lessons. When the two children were 
alone Heidi said at once: — 

“ How do you see outdoors and ’way down to the 
ground here ? ” 

“ We open the window and look out,” replied Klara, 
amused at the question. 

“ But the windows don’t open,” said Heidi sadly. 


AN UNCOMFORTABLE DAY. 


95 


“Well! well!” exclaimed Klara, “you can’t open 
them, and I can’t help you ; but when you see Sebastian, 
he will open one for you.” 

It was a great relief to Heidi to know that the 
windows could open and that she could look out, for 
her room had seemed to her like a prison. 

Klara then began to ask Heidi about her home; and 
Heidi was delighted to tell her about the Aim, the 
goats, and the pasture, and everything she was so 
fond of. 

In the mean time the Herr Kandidat arrived ; but 
Fraulein Rottenmeier did not take him as usual into 
the library, for she wished to talk with him first, and 
so asked him into the dining-room, where she sat down 
in front of him, and in great excitement described her 
embarrassing situation, and how it had come about. 

She had written some time before to Herr Sesemann 
in Paris, where he was staying, that his daughter had 
for a long time desired to have a companion in the 
house, and that she herself believed that it would be an 
incentive to Klara in the study hours, and give her 
stimulating society the rest of the time. In reality the 
plan was a very desirable one forP'raulein Rottenmeier 
herself, as she was anxious to have some one there to 
relieve her from entertaining the sick girl — a task which 
was often too much for her. Herr Sesemann had re- 
plied that he would willingly grant his daughter’s wish, 
but with the condition that her playmate should be in 
every way as Klara’s equal ; for he would have no chil- 
dren tormented in his house — “ a really very unneces- 


96 


HEIDI. 


sary remark from Herr Sesemann, for who wants to 
torment children ? ” 

She then went on to tell the Herr Kandidat how 
terribly disappointed she had been in the child, and 
related all the strange things she had done since she 
had been in the house, proving not only that he would 
have literally to begin his instruction with the alphabet, 
but that she, too, had to commence at the very begin- 
ning in every kind of training. She saw only one way 
out of these unfortunate circumstances, and that was 
for the Herr Kandidat to declare that two children so 
different could not be taught together without great 
harm to the advanced pupil ; this would be a sufficient 
reason to Herr Sesemann for putting an end to the 
matter and allowing the child to be immediately sent 
back where she came from ; she would not dare to 
undertake this without his consent, because the master 
of the house knew that the child had come. 

But the Herr Kandidat was very discreet and never 
one-sided in his judgment. 

He spoke many consoling words to Fraulein Rotten- 
meier and gave the opinion that if the young girl was 
backward in one way she might be so advanced in other 
ways that with well-regulated instruction they would be 
brought into harmony. When Fraulein Rottenmeier 
saw that the Herr Kandidat did not favor her, but 
would undertake to teach A-B-C’s, she opened the door 
into the library for him, and after he had gone in closed 
it quickly behind him and remained on the other side, 
for she had a horror of A-B-C’s. 


AN UNCOMFORTABLE DAY. 97 

She strode up and down the room, considering how 
the servants should address Adelheid. Herr Sesemann 
had written that she must be treated as his daughter ; 
and this command had to be carried out, especially in 
regard to the servants, thought Fraulein Rottenmeier. 
But she was not able to meditate long without inter- 
ruption, for suddenly from the library came a fright- 
ful crash as of something falling, and then a call to 
Sebastian for help. She rushed into the room. There 
on the floor everything lay in a heap — books, copy- 
books, inkstand, artd on top of all the rest the table- 
cover, from underneath which a stream of ink flowed 
across the whole length of the room. 

Heidi had disappeared. 

“Just look at that !” exclaimed Fraulein Rottenmeier, 
wringing her hands. “Table-cover, books, and work- 
basket, all in the ink ! Such a thing never happened 
before ! There ’s no doubt about it, it is that wretched 
creature ! ” 

The Herr Kandidat stood in perfect dismay gazing at 
the destruction which could be regarded only in one light, 
as very disturbing. Klara, on the other hand, watched 
the unusual occurrence and its result with a look of per- 
fect delight and simply said by way of explanation : — 

“Yes, Heidi did it, but not on purpose; she really 
must not be blamed ; she was only in such a fearful 
hurry to get away, and pulled the cover with her, and 
so everything fell with it to the floor. Several carriages 
went by, one after the other, so she rushed out ; perhaps 
she had never seen a coach before.” 


98 


HEIDI. 


“ There, is n’t it just as I told you, Herr Kandidat ? 
The creature has n’t an idea about anything ! not a 
suspicion what a lesson hour is, that she ought to sit 
still and listen. But where is the unlucky child ? If 
she has run away, what would Herr Sesemann say 
to me ? ” 

Fraulein Rottenmeier darted out and down the stairs. 
There in the open doorway stood Heidi, looking, quite 
perplexed, up and down the street. 

“ What is it ? What is the matter with you ? Why 
have you run away ? ” demanded Fraulein Rottenmeier 
of the little girl. 

“ I heard the fir trees roar, but I don’t know where 
they are, and I don’t hear them any longer,” answered 
Heidi, looking blankly in the direction where the 
rolling of the carriages had died away, a noise which 
in Heidi’s ears seemed like the raging of the wind in 
the firs, so that she had followed the sound in the 
highest glee. 

“ Firs ! Are we in the woods ? What a notion ! 
Come up and see what you have done!” 

Whereupon Fraulein Rottenmeier went upstairs again ; 
Heidi followed her and was very much astonished to see 
the great damage done, for in her delight and haste to 
hear the fir trees she had not noticed what she was 
dragging after her. 

“ You have done that once; you must not do it 
again,” said Fraulein Rottenmeier, pointing to the floor; 
“ when you are having lessons you must sit still in your 
chair and pay attention. If you cannot do it by your- 


AN UNCOMFORTABLE DAY. 


99 


self, I shall have to fasten you to your seat. Do you 
understand ? ” 

“ Yes,” replied Heidi, “and I will sit still now”; for 
she began to comprehend what she was expected to do. 

Tinette and Sebastian by this time had to come to 
put the room in order, and the Herr Kandidat went 
away, for all further teaching had to be given up. 
There had been no excuse for yawning that morning. 

In the afternoon Klara always had to rest a long 
time, and Heidi could then busy herself as she pleased; 
so Fraulein Rottenmeier had explained to her in the 
morning. When Klara had lain down to rest in her 
chair after dinner, Fraulein Rottenmeier went to her 
room. Heidi was glad to have the time to herself, for 
she had in her mind a plan which she was anxious to 
undertake, but she would be obliged to have help about 
it. Therefore she placed herself in the middle of the 
hall, in front of the dining-room, in order that the 
person she wished to see might not escape her. Sure 
enough, in a little while Sebastian came up the stairs 
with the large tea tray, bringing the silver up from 
the kitchen to put away in the china closet. When 
he reached the last stair Heidi stepped up to him, 
saying: — 

“ I would like to ask you something,” and added, as 
if to pacify him, “ but it is really not wrong, as it was 
this morning”; for she noticed that he looked a little 
cross, and she thought it was on account of the ink on 
the carpet. 

Sebastian then laughed so loud that Heidi looked 

tefft 


100 


HEIDI. 


at him in amazement, for she had n’t noticed anything 
amusing. 

“All right, go ahead, Mamsell.” 

“ My name is n’t Mamsell,” said Heidi, a little vexed 
in her turn ; “ my name is Heidi.” 

“That ’s all right; Fraulein Rottenmeier told me to 
call you so,” explained Sebastian. 

“ Did she ? Well, then, I must be called so,” said 
Heidi resignedly ; for she had noticed that everything 
had to be as Fraulein Rottenmeier said. 

“Now I have three names,” she added with a sigh. 

“ What did the little Mamsell want to ask? ” said 
Sebastian as he went into the dining-room and was 
putting away the silver in the closet. 

“How do you open the windows, Sebastian?” 

“ This way,” he replied, pushing up one of the large 
windows. 

Heidi went to it, but she was too small to be able to 
see anything ; she reached only to the window sill. 

“ There ; now the little girl can look out and see 
what there is below,” said Sebastian, bringing a high 
wooden stool and setting it down. Heidi climbed up 
with great delight, and was able at last to take the 
longed-for look out the window. But she immediately 
drew her head in, evidently much disappointed. 

“ There is nothing to see at all but the stony 
street,” said the child mournfully; “if you go clear 
round the house, what do you see on the other side, 
Sebastian? ” 

“Just the same,” was the answer. 


AN UNCOMFOR TABLE DAY. 


101 


“ But where do you go to see way down across the 
whole valley?” 

“ You have to climb up into some high church tower, 
like the one over there with the golden dome above it. 
From up there you can see away off ever so far.” 

Then Heidi quickly climbed down from the stool, 
ran out of the door, down the stairs, and went out into 
the street. But she did not find it as she imagined it 
would be. When she saw the tower through the win- 
dow, she fancied she would only have to go across the 
street and it would be just in front of her. She went 
down the entire length of the street, but without com- 
ing to the tower, and she could no longer see it any- 
where ; and she came to another street and then another, 
and so on, but still she did not see the tower. A great 
many persons passed her, but they were all in such a 
hurry that Heidi thought they had no time to tell her 
anything about it. Finally she saw a boy standing on 
the corner of the next street ; he was carrying a small 
hand organ on his back and a very strange animal in 
his arms. Heidi ran up to him and asked: — 

“ Where is the tower with the golden dome at the 
very top? ” 

“Don’t know,” was the answer. 

“Who can tell me then where it is?” asked Heidi 
again. 

“Don’t know.” 

“Don’t you know any other church with a high tower? ” 

“Certainly I know one.” 

“ Come and show me where it is.” 


102 


HEIDI. 


“ Show me first what you will give me if I do.” 

The boy held out his hand. Heidi searched in her 
pocket. She drew out a little picture, on which was 
painted a garland of red roses ; she looked at it for a 
little while, for she disliked to part with it. That very 
morning Klara had given it to her ; but to look down 
into the valley, across the green slopes ! 

“There,” said Heidi, holding out the picture to him ; 
“ will you take that? ” 

The boy drew his hand back and shook his head. 

“What do you want, then?” asked Heidi, delighted 
to put her picture back into her pocket. 

“ Money.” 

“ I have n’t any, but Klara has, and she will give me 
some; how much do you want?” 

“Twenty pfennigs.” 

“ Well, then, come along.” 

The two accordingly went through a long street, and 
on the way Heidi asked her companion what he was 
carrying on his back, and he explained that under the 
cloth he had an organ which made wonderful music 
when he turned the handle. Suddenly they came to 
an old church with a high tower ; the boy stood still 
and said : — 

“There!” 

“ But how can I get in ? ” asked Heidi when she 
found that the doors were closed. 

“Don’t know,” was the answer. 

“ Do you think I could ring here as I do for Sebas- 
tian? ” 


AN UNCOMFORTABLE DAY \ 


103 


“ Don’t know.” 

Heidi had noticed a bell in the wall and now pulled 
it with all her might. 

“ If I go up there you must wait down here, for I 
don’t know the way back, and you must show me.” 

“ What will you give me if I do? ” 

“ What shall I have to give you, then? ” 

“ Twenty pfennigs more.” 

A key was turned in the old lock on the inside, and 
the creaking door opened ; an old man stepped out and 
looked at first surprised and then rather angrily at the 
children and said : — 

“ How did you dare to ring for me to come down ? 
Can’t you read what it says under the bell? ‘For 
those who wish to ascend the tower.’” 

The boy pointed to Heidi and said not a word. 

Heidi replied : “ I want to go up into the tower.” 

“What do you want to do up there?” asked the 
tower-keeper. “Did some one send you here?” 

“No,” answered Heidi. “I only want to go up so 
that I can look down.” 

“ Go home, and don’t play any more tricks on me, 
or you won’t get off so easily another time ! ” Where- 
upon the tower-keeper turned round and was about to 
shut the door, but Heidi held him by the coat-tail and 
said pleadingly: — 

“ Only just this once ! ” 

He looked around, and Heidi’s eyes gazed up at him 
so beseechingly that he quite changed his mind ; he 
took hold of the child’s hand and said in a kindly tone : — 


104 


HEIDI ; 


“ If you are so anxious to go, come with me.” 

The boy sat down on the stone step in front of the 
door and signified that he did not care to go with 
them. 

Heidi, holding the tower-keeper’s hand, climbed many, 
many steps, which grew smaller and smaller ; finally she 
went up an extremely narrow staircase, and then she 
was at the top. The keeper lifted Heidi up and held 
her to the open window v 

“There, now look down,” he said. 

Heidi saw below her a sea of roofs, towers, and 
chimneys. She drew her head back quickly and said 
in a tone of disappointment : — 

“ It is not at all what I thought it would be.” 

“ Is that so ? What does a little girl like you know 
about a view ? Well, now come down, and don’t ring 
at a church door again ! ” 

The keeper put Heidi on the floor and started down 
the narrow stairs in front of her. On the left, where 
they began to grow wider, there was a door which opened 
into the keeper’s room ; close by, where the floor ex- 
tended out under the sloping roof, stood a large basket, 
and in front of it sat a big gray cat, growling, for in the 
basket lived her family, and she wished to warn every 
passer-by not to disturb her domestic arrangements. 
Heidi stood still and looked amazed, for she had never 
seen such a huge cat before; in the old tower there 
lived whole flocks of mice, so the cat had no difficulty 
in catching half a dozen little ones every day. 

The tower-keeper noticed Heidi’s surprise and said : — 


AN UNCOMFORTABLE DAY. 


105 


“Come, you may look at the kittens; she won’t 
hurt you while I am here.” 

Heidi went toward the basket and screamed with 
delight. 

“ Oh, the cunning little creatures ! the lovely kit- 
tens ! ” she exclaimed again and again, running back 
and forth around the basket, in order to watch the 
amusing frolic and play of seven or eight little kittens 
as they crawled and jumped and tumbled over one 
another. 

“Would you like one?” asked the tower-keeper, 
pleased to see Heidi dance with delight. 

“For my own? To keep always? ” asked Heidi, ex- 
cited and hardly able to believe in such good luck. 

“ Yes, to be sure ; you can have more than one — you 
can have them all, if you have room for them,” said the 
man, glad of a chance to dispose of the kittens without 
having to harm them. 

Heidi was highly delighted. The kittens would have 
so much room in the big house, and how surprised and 
pleased Klara would be when the pretty creatures 
arrived ! 

“ But how can I carry them? ” asked Heidi, and was 
going to take some of them up in her hands at once, 
but the big cat jumped up on her arm and growled so 
fiercely that she drew back greatly frightened. 

“ I will bring them to you, only tell me where,” said 
the keeper, stroking the old cat to make her good- 
natured again, for she was his friend and had lived in 
the tower with him for a good many years. 


106 


HEIDI. 


“ To Herr Sesemann’s big house. There is a golden 
head of a dog with a big ring in his mouth on the front 
door,” explained Heidi. 

This detail was superfluous, for the tower-keeper had 
sat in the tower for many long years and knew every 
house far and wide ; besides, Sebastian was an old 
acquaintance of his. 

“ I know where it is,” he remarked ; “ but whom shall 
I bring the things to, and 
whom shall I ask for? You 
don’t belong to Herr Sese- 
mann, do you?” 

“ No ; but Klara will be so 
delighted to have the kit- 
tens ! ” 

The tower-keeper was 
ready to go on down the 
stairs, but Heidi could hardly 
tear herself away from the 
entertaining spectacle. 

“If I could only carry one or two with me — one 
for myself and one for Klara ! Why can’t I? ” 

“ Well, wait a little,” said the keeper ; and he carried 
the old cat carefully into his little room, put her into 
the cupboard, shut the door, and came back : “ There, 
now take two ! ” 

Heidi’s eyes shone with delight. She chose a white 
kitten and a striped yellow and white one, and put one 
in her right pocket and the other in the left. Then 
she went down the stairs. 



AN UNCOMFORTABLE DAY. 


107 


The boy was still sitting on the steps outside, and 
when the keeper had closed the door after Heidi she 
said : — 

“ Which is the way to Herr Sesemann’s house? ” 

“Don’t know,” was the answer. 

Heidi then began to describe, as well as she knew 
how, about the front door, the windows, and the steps ; 
but the boy shook his head ; he knew nothing about it. 

“You see,” Heidi went on, “out of one window 
you look at a big, big gray house, and the roof goes 
so”; and with her forefinger she described a sharp 
point in the air. 

Then the boy jumped up; all he needed was some 
such sign in order to find the way. He started off on 
the run and Heidi after him, and in a short time they 
stood directly in front of the door with the big brass 
knocker. Heidi rang the bell. Sebastian soon ap- 
peared, and when he saw Heidi he exclaimed urg- 
ently : — 

“ Quick ! quick ! ” 

Heidi ran in in great haste, and Sebastian closed the 
door ; he had not noticed the boy standing disappointed 
outside. 

“Quick, Mamsell ! ” urged Sebastian again; “go 
right into the dining-room ; they are already at the 
table. Fraulein Rottenmeier looks like a loaded can- 
non ; but what made the little Mamsell run away so? ” 

Heidi went into the dining-room. Fraulein Rotten- 
meier did not look up, and Klara said nothing; there 
was an uncomfortable silence. Sebastian pushed up 


108 


HEIDI : 


Heidi’s chair. When she was once seated in her 
place, Fraulein Rottenmeier began with a stern face 
and a very solemn voice : — 

“Adelheid, I will talk with you later; now I have 
only this to say : you have behaved very badly, and 
really deserve to be punished for leaving the house 
without asking permission, without any one knowing 
a thing about it, and wandering about until so late in 
the day ; I never heard of such conduct.” 

“ Meow,” sounded as the apparent answer. 

Then the lady grew angry : — 

“ What, Adelheid,” she exclaimed, raising her voice, 
“ after such behavior, do you dare to play a naughty 
trick? You had better be very careful, I assure you ! ” 

“ I did n’t,” began Heidi. 

“ Meow ! meow ! ” 

Sebastian put his tray down on the table and rushed 
out of the room. 

“ That is enough,” Fraulein Rottenmeier tried to say ; 
but she was so excited that her voice no longer sounded. 

“ Get up and leave the room ! ” 

Heidi, much frightened, rose from her chair and tried 
once more to explain. 

“ I really did n’t ” — 

“ Meow! meow ! meow ! ” 

“ But, Heidi,” said Klara, “ when you see how angry 
you are making Fraulein Rottenmeier, why do you keep 
saying ‘ meow ’ ? ” 

“ I am not doing it ; it is the kittens,” Heidi at last 
was able to say without interruption. 


AN UNCOMFORTABLE DAY. 


109 


“What? what? cats? kittens?” screamed Fraulein 
Rottenmeier. “ Sebastian ! Tinette ! Find the horri- 
ble creatures and take them away ! ” 

Whereupon the lady rushed into the library and fas- 
tened the door in order to be safe, for to Fraulein Rot- 
tenmeier kittens were the most dreadful things in the 
world. Sebastian was standing outside the door and 
had to stop laughing before he could enter the room 
again. While he was serving Heidi, he had noticed a 
little cat’s head peeping out of her pocket, and when it 
began to meow he could hardly contain himself long 
enough to set his tray on the table. At last he was 
able to go back calmly into the room, some time after 
the distressed lady had called for help. Everything 
was then perfectly quiet and peaceful ; Klara was hold- 
ing the kittens in her lap, Heidi was kneeling by her 
side, and both were playing to their great delight with 
the two tiny, graceful creatures. 

“Sebastian,” said Klara as he entered, “you must 
help us ; you must find a bed for the kittens where 
Fraulein Rottenmeier will not see them, for she is 
afraid of them, and will have them taken away ; we 
want to keep the cunning things and bring them out 
whenever we are alone. Where can you put them ? ” 

« I will take care of them, Fraulein Klara,” replied 
Sebastian willingly ; “ I will make a fine bed for them 
in a basket, and put it where the timid lady will never 
come ; just leave it all to me.” 

Sebastian went on with his work, chuckling to him- 
self all the while, for he thought : “ This is n’t the last 


no 


HEIDI. 


of it ! ” and he did not at all dislike to see Fraulein Rot- 
tenmeier a little distressed. 

Some time after, when it was almost time to go to 
bed, Fraulein Rottenmeier opened the door a very little 
way and called through the crack : — 

“ Have the horrible creatures been taken away ? ” 
“Yes, indeed! Yes, indeed!” answered Sebastian, 
who had kept busy in the room, expecting this question. 
Quickly and quietly he took the two kittens out of 
Klara's lap and disappeared with them. 

Fraulein Rottenmeier deferred until the following 
day the especial scolding which she had intended to 
give Heidi ; for she felt too exhausted that night, after 
all the preceding emotions of vexation, anger, and fright, 
which in turn Heidi had unconsciously provoked in her. 
She drew back in silence, and Klara and Heidi followed 
quite content, for they knew their kittens were in a 
good bed. 


CHAPTER VIII. 


DISTURBANCES IN THE SESEMANN HOUSE. 

On the following morning Sebastian had no sooner 
opened the front door for the Herr Kandidat and 
ushered him into the library than some one else rang 
the bell, but with such force that Sebastian rushed 
down the stairs with all his might, for he thought: — 

“No one rings like that except Herr Sesemann him- 
self ; he must have come home unexpectedly.” 

He pulled open the door ; a ragged boy with a hand 
organ on his back stood before him. 

“ What do you mean ? ” said Sebastian to him. “ I 
will teach you how to pull doorbells ! What do you 
want here ? ” 

“ I want to see Klara,” was the reply. 

“ You dirty street urchin, you ! can’t you say ‘ Frau- 
lein Klara,’ as the rest of us do ? What have you to do 
with Fraulein Klara?” asked Sebastian savagely. 

“ She owes me forty pfennigs,” explained the boy. 

“ You are certainly not right in your mind ! How 
do you know, anyway, that there is such a person as 
Fraulein Klara here ? ” 

“ I showed her the way yesterday; that makes twenty 
pfennigs ; and then I showed her the way back again ; 
that makes twenty more ! ” 


hi 


112 


HEIDI. 


“You see what a fib you are telling; Fraulein Klara 
never goes out ; she is not able to go out. Get you 
gone where you belong before I start you ! ” 

But the boy was not at all frightened ; he remained 
calmly standing still and said coolly: — 

“But I saw her on the street. I can describe her; 
she had short, curly black hair, and her eyes are black, 
and her dress brown, and she does n’t talk as we do.” 

“ Oho ! ” thought Sebastian, chuckling to himself ; 
“ that is the little Mamsell, who has been in more 
mischief.” Then he said, pulling the boy in: — 

“ You ’re quite right ; follow me and wait at the door 
until I come out again. If I let you come in, you must 
play something; it will please Fraulein Klara.” 

He went upstairs, knocked at the library door, and 
was called in. 

“ There is a boy here who wishes to see Fraulein 
Klara herself,” announced Sebastian. 

Klara was very much delighted at this unusual 
occurrence. 

“He may come right in,” she said; “may he not, 
Herr Kandidat, if he wants to speak to me ? ” 

The boy soon entered the room, and, according to his 
instructions, he immediately began to play his organ. 
In order to avoid the A-B-C’s, Fraulein Rottenmeier 
was busying herself with all sorts of things in the 
dining-room. Suddenly she stopped to listen. Did 
the sound come from the street ? and so near ? How 
could the sound of a hand organ come from the library ? 
And yet — really ! She rushed through the long dining- 


DISTURBANCES IN THE SESEMANN HOUSE . 113 

room and threw open the door. There, — she could 
hardly believe it, — there in the middle of the library 
stood a ragged organ-grinder, playing his instrument 
most diligently. The Herr Kandidat seemed trying 
to say something, but the words failed to come. Klara 
and Heidi were listening with beaming faces to the 
music. 

“ Stop ! stop immediately ! ” exclaimed Fraulein Rot- 
tenmeier, coming into the room. Her voice was drowned 
by the music. Then she ran toward the boy, but sud- 
denly she felt something between her feet ; she looked 
on the floor ; a horrible black creature was crawling 
under her skirts — a turtle. Fraulein Rottenmeier 
jumped in the air as she had not done before for many 
years, then screamed at the top of her voice: — 

“ Sebastian ! Sebastian ! ” 

Suddenly the organ-grinder stopped, for this time her 
voice was heard above the music. Sebastian, doubled 
up with laughter, stood outside the half-open door, for 
he had seen the jump Fraulein Rottenmeier made. 
Finally he entered. Fraulein Rottenmeier had thrown 
herself into a chair. 

“ Away with them both, the boy and that creature ! 
Send them away immediately, Sebastian ! ” she cried to 
him. Sebastian readily obeyed. He led out the boy, 
who had quickly seized his turtle, then pressing some- 
thing into his hand he said: — 

“ Forty for Fraulein Klara, and forty for playing. 
You did well ” ; whereupon he closed the door. 

Quiet was once more restored in the library; the 


114 


HEIDI. 


studies were resumed, and Fraulein Rottenmeier had 
settled herself in the room, in order that her presence 
might prevent a similar dreadful occurrence. After the 
study hours she intended to investigate the case and 
punish the guilty one, so that it would not be forgotten. 

Soon there came another knock at the door, and 
Sebastian again came in with the information that a 
large basket had been brought, which was to be given 
immediately to Fraulein Klara herself. 

“To me?” asked Klara in surprise and curious to 
know what it might be ; “ let me see at once what it 
looks like.” 

Sebastian brought in a covered basket and then 
hastened away. 

“ I think you had better finish your studies first and 
then open the basket,” remarked Fraulein Rottenmeier. 

Klara could not imagine what had been sent to her ; 
she gazed* with longing eyes at the basket. 

“ Herr Kandidat,” she said, stopping short while she 
was declining a word, “ may I not take just one little 
peep to see what is in the basket and then go right on 
with my lessons ? ” 

“From one point of view I might be in favor of it, 
from another against it,” replied the Herr Kandidat ; 
“ the reason for it would be that if your whole attention 
is directed toward this object ” — 

His remark could not be finished. The cover of the 
basket was not fastened, and suddenly, one, two, three, 
and then two, and then even more little kittens jumped 
out into the room and began to scamper around so 


DISTURBANCES IN THE SESEMANN HOUSE . 115 

unaccountably fast that it seemed as if the whole room 
were full of the tiny creatures. They jumped over the 
Herr Kandidat’s boots, bit his trousers, climbed up 



Fraulein Rottenmeier’s dress, crawled around her feet, 
leaped up into Klara’s chair, scratched, groped about, 
and mewed ; it was utter confusion. 

Klara was perfectly enraptured and kept exclaim- 
ing:— 

“ Oh, what cunning little creatures ! How gayly they 


116 


HEIDI. 


jump about ! See ! Look, Heidi, here, there ! Look 
at that one ! ” 

Heidi with delight ran after them into every corner. 
The Herr Kandidat, hindered from going on with his 
teaching, stood by the table, lifting first one foot and 
then the other to avoid the annoyance. Fraulein Rot- 
tenmeier at first sat speechless with horror; then she 
began to scream at the top of her voice : — 

“Tinette! Tinette ! Sebastian! Sebastian!” She 
did not even dare to rise from her chair, lest all the 
dreadful little creatures might jump at her at once. 

Finally Sebastian and Tinette answered her repeated 
calls for help and put the kittens, one after another, 
back into the basket and carried them to the bed made 
for the two kittens that had arrived the night before. 

This day again there had been no opportunity for 
yawning during the study hours. Late in the evening, 
when Fraulein Rottenmeier had recovered sufficiently 
from the excitement of the morning, she called Sebas- 
tian and Tinette up into the library to make a thorough 
investigation of the disgraceful proceedings. Then it 
came out that Heidi, in her expedition of the previous 
day, had been the cause of all that had happened. 
Fraulein Rottenmeier sat there pale with anger, and 
at first could find no words to express her feelings. 
She made a sign for Sebastian and Tinette to leave the 
room. She then turned to Heidi, who was standing by 
Klara’s chair and had no idea what wrong she had 
done. 

“Adelheid,” she began in a severe voice, “I know 


DISTURBANCES IN THE SESEMANN HOUSE. 117 


only one punishment which could have any effect on you* 
for you are a barbarian ; but we shall see whether you 
will not become civilized down in the dark cellar with 
lizards and rats, so that you will never let such things 
happen again.” 

Heidi listened calmly and wonderingly to her sen- 
tence, for she had never been in a frightful cellar; the 
room adjoining the Aim hut, which her grandfather 
called the cellar, and where the cheese and fresh milk 
were kept, was a pleasant, inviting place, and she had 
never seen any rats and lizards. 

But Klara raised great objections to this : — 

“ No, no, Fraulein Rottenmeier, you must wait until 
papa is here ; he has already written that he is coming 
soon, and I will tell him everything; then he will say 
what is to be done with Heidi.” 

Fraulein Rottenmeier dared make no objection to 
this decision. She rose, saying somewhat bitterly: — 

“ Very well, Klara, very well, but I too shall have 
a word to say to Herr Sesemann.” 

Whereupon she left the room. 

Then followed two or three peaceful days, but Frau- 
lein Rottenmeier did not get over her distress ; the dis- 
appointment she had felt in Heidi kept coming before 
her eyes, and it seemed to her that since the little girl 
made her appearance in the Sesemann house every- 
thing had gone wrong and could never again be set 
right. 

Klara was well contented ; the days no longer seemed 
dull. It was Heidi who made the study hours pass 


118 


HEIDI. 


quickly. The alphabet always confused her and she 
could never learn it. When the Herr Kandidat was in 
the midst of explaining and writing the forms of the 
letters, and in order to make them clearer, compared 
one to a little horn and another to a beak, she would 
exclaim with delight : “ It is a goat ! ” or “ It is the 
robber-bird ! ” The description awakened all sorts of 
thoughts in her brain, but no idea of the alphabet. 

In the late afternoon hours Heidi would again sit 
beside Klara and tell her all about the Aim and her 
life there, until her longing for it became so intense 
that she would cry out : — 

“ I really must go home now ! To-morrow I really 
must go ! ” 

But Klara always quieted these attacks and showed 
Heidi that she must surely remain until her papa came 
home ; then they would see what would happen. 

One happy prospect Heidi secretly enjoyed caused 
her to yield and become contented once more. This 
was, that every day she remained she would be able to 
add two more rolls for the grandmother. Every noon 
and night beside her plate lay a lovely white roll, 
which she immediately put into her pocket, for she 
could not eat the bread when she thought how the 
grandmother had none at all and was hardly able any 
longer to eat the hard black bread. 

Every day after dinner Heidi sat for two long hours 
quiet and alone in her room, for she was not allowed to 
run outdoors in Frankfurt as she did on the Aim ; she 
understood this now and never did it any more. Neither 


disturbance's in the sesemann HOUSE. 119 

did she dare to talk to Sebastian in the dining-room, for 
Fraulein Rottenmeier had forbidden that also, and she 
never dreamed of speaking to Tinette, whom she always 
avoided, for Tinette spoke to her in a scornful tone 
and was continually laughing at her, and Heidi under- 
stood her perfectly. So Heidi sat thinking to herself 
how the Aim was growing green again, how the yellow 
flowers were glistening in the sunshine, and how bright 
everything was — the snow and the mountains and the 
whole wide valley. She often felt as if she could not 
bear it any longer, so great was her yearning to be 
there. Her aunt had told her, moreover, that she 
might go home whenever she liked. 

So it happened that one day she packed up her rolls 
in great haste in the big red neckerchief, put on her 
straw hat and started. But at the very door she en- 
countered Fraulein Rottenmeier just returning from a 
walk. She stood still and in blank amazement gazed 
at Heidi from top to toe, and her eyes rested especially 
on the full red handkerchief. Then she broke forth : — 

“ What kind of an expedition is this ? What does it 
mean ? Have I not strictly forbidden you to go wan- 
dering about again ? Now you are trying to start out 
another time, and looking for all the world like a 
tramp.” 

“ I am not going to wander about ; I only want to go 
home,” replied Heidi, frightened. 

“ What ? what ? go home ? You want to go home ? ” 
Fraulein Rottenmeier wrung her hands in her agita- 
tion. “ Run away ! If Herr Sesemann knew that ! 


120 


HEIDI. 


Run away from his house ! Don’t let him ever hear 
of it ! And what is it that does n’t suit you in his 
house ? Are you not better treated than you deserve ? 
Is there anything you need ? Have you ever in your 
whole life had a home, or a table or the service that 
you have here ? Tell me ! ” 

“ No,” replied Heidi. 

“ I know that perfectly well,” continued the lady in 
great excitement. “You lack nothing, nothing at all; 
you are the most ungrateful child I ever heard of, and 
you don’t know how well off you are.” 

Then all Heidi’s pent-up feelings broke forth : — 

“ Indeed I am going home, for I have been away so 
long that Schneehopli must be crying for me all the 
time, and the grandmother is expecting me, and Distel- 
finck will be beaten if Peter has no cheese, and here 
you never see how the sun says good-night to the moun- 
tains ; and if the robber-bird should fly over Frankfurt 
he would scream still louder, because so many people 
live together and make each other wicked, and do not 
go up on the cliffs where it would be good for them.” 

“Mercy, the child is crazy!” exclaimed Fraulein 
Rottenmeier ; and as she darted in alarm up the stairs 
she ran hard against Sebastian, who was coming 
down. 

“ Bring up that miserable creature at once ! ” she 
called to him as she rubbed her head, for she had 
received no gentle bump. 

“ Yes, yes, I’m all right, thank you,” answered Sebas- 
tian, for he had been hit still harder. 


DISTURBANCES IN THE SESEMANN HOUSE. 121 

Heidi still stood, with flaming eyes, on the same spot, 
and her whole body trembled with excitement. 

“Well, what have you been doing now?” asked 
Sebastian gayly ; but when he really saw that Heidi did 
not move he patted her kindly on the shoulder and 
said comfortingly : — 

“ Pshaw ! pshaw ! the little Mamsell must not take 
it so to heart ; just be merry, that is the best way ! She 
almost broke my head just now, but don’t be frightened ! 
Well ? still on the same spot ? We must go upstairs ; 
she said so.” 

Heidi then went up the stairs, but very slowly and 
quietly, and not at all as she was wont to go. That 
made Sebastian feel sorry. He went behind her and 
spoke encouraging words to her: — 

“You mustn’t give way ! You mustn’t be so sad ! 
Only be brave about it ! We have had a very sensible 
little Mamsell, who has never cried since she has been 
with us ; other little girls cry a dozen times a day ; that 
is well known. The kittens are gay, too, upstairs ; they 
jump all around the floor and act like mad. By and by 
shall we go up there together and look at them, when 
the lady in there is away ? ” 

Heidi nodded her head slightly, but so sadly that it 
went to Sebastian’s heart, and he looked at Heidi quite 
feelingly as she stole away to her room. 

At supper time that day Fraulein Rottenmeier said 
not a word, but kept casting strangely sharp glances at 
Heidi, as if she expected she would suddenly do some 
unheard-of thing ; but Heidi sat as still as a mouse at 


122 


HEIDI. 


the table and did not stir ; she neither ate nor drank ; 
but she had put her bread quickly into her pocket. 

On the following morning, when the Herr Kandidat 
came upstairs, Fraulein Rottenmeier motioned to him 
secretly to come into the dining-room, and here she 
confided to him her anxiety, lest the change of air, the 
unwonted manner of life, and the new impressions had 
driven the child out of her senses ; and she told him 
how Heidi had tried to run away, and repeated to 
him as much as she could remember of her strange 
words. 

But the Herr Kandidat calmed Fraulein Rottenmeier 
and assured her he knew that, on the one hand, Adel- 
heid was certainly somewhat eccentric, but, on the other 
hand, she was in her right mind, so that gradually, with 
the right kind of treatment, he would be able to accom- 
plish what he had in view. He found the case more 
serious because he had not yet succeeded in mastering 
the alphabet with her, for she could n’t seem to grasp 
the letters. 

Fraulein Rottenmeier felt calmer and let the Herr 
Kandidat go to his work. Late in the afternoon she re- 
membered Heidi’s appearance on her intended journey, 
and she determined to replenish the child’s wardrobe 
with some of Klara’s clothing before Herr Sesemann 
should appear. She consulted with Klara about it, and 
as she agreed with her, and wished to give her a quan- 
tity of dresses and linen and hats, the lady went to 
Heidi’s room to look into her closet and to examine 
the things she already had, and decide what should be 


DISTURBANCES IN THE SESEMANN HOUSE. 123 

kept and what disposed of. But in a few moments 
she came back again, looking very much disgusted. 

“ What a discovery I have made, Adelheid ! ” she 
exclaimed. “ I never heard of such a thing ! In your 
closet, a clothes closet, Adelheid, in the bottom of this 
closet, what do I find ? A pile of little rolls ! Bread, 
I say, Klara, in a clothes closet ! And such a pile 
stowed away ! ” 

“ Tinette ! ” she then called into the dining-room, 
“ take away the old bread in Adelheid’s closet and the 
crushed straw hat on the table.” 

“ No ! no ! ” screamed Heidi ; “ I must have the hat, 
and the rolls are for the grandmother ” ; and Heidi was 
about to rush after Tinette, but was held fast by Frau- 
lein Rottenmeier. 

“ Stay here and the rubbish will be taken away and 
put where it belongs,” she said decidedly, holding Heidi 
back. But Heidi threw herself down by Klara’s chair 
and began to cry in such despair, louder and louder, 
and more bitterly, and sobbed again and again in her 
distress : — 

“ Now the grandmother won’t have any rolls. They 
were for the grandmother ; now they are all gone and 
she won’t have any ! ” 

It seemed as if her heart would break. Fraulein 
Rottenmeier ran out. Klara was alarmed and per- 
plexed by her distress. 

“ Heidi, Heidi, don’t cry so ! ” she said imploringly, 
“ only listen to me ! Don’t be so troubled ; see, I 
promise you I will give you just as many rolls for the 


124 


HEIDI . 


grandmother, or even more, when you go home, and 
then they will be fresh and soft, and those would be- 
come very hard, and were so already. Come, Heidi, 
don’t cry so any more ! ” 

It was long before Heidi could control her sobs ; 
but she understood Klara’s comforting words and took 
them to heart, else would she never have been able to 
stop crying. But she had to be reassured of her hope 
again and again, and so she kept asking Klara, while 
her sobs still interrupted her speech : — 

“Will you really give me, for the grandmother, just 
as many as I had ? ” 

And Klara kept saying: “Yes, indeed I will, and 
more, too ; so be happy again.” 

Heidi came to supper with her eyes all red from 
weeping, and when she saw her piece of bread she had 
a fresh outbreak of sobbing ; but this time she quickly 
controlled herself, for she realized that she had to 
behave at meal times. 

Sebastian this time kept making the most significant 
gestures whenever he came near Heidi ; he would point 
to his own head, then to Heidi’s, then he would nod 
and wink as if to make her understand : — 

“ Be comforted ! I have looked out for everything 
and made it all right.” 

When Heidi a little later went to her room, and was 
about to get into bed, she found her little crumpled 
straw hat hidden under the coverlet. With perfect 
delight she snatched the old hat out ; in her joy she 
crumpled it still more, and then, tying it up in a hand- 


DISTURBANCES IN THE SESEMANN HOUSE. 125 


kerchief, she thrust it down into the deepest corner of 
her closet. Sebastian had hidden it under the coverlet ; 
he had been in the dining-room at the same time with 
Tinette when she was called, and he had heard Heidi’s 
cry of distress. Then he had followed Tinette, and 
when she came out of Heidi’s room with an armful of 
bread, and the hat on top of it all, he had snatched the 
hat, exclaiming: — 

“ I will take care of that ! ” 

So in great delight he had rescued it for Heidi, and 
that was what he meant at table by his gestures of 
consolation. 


CHAPTER IX. 


THE MASTER OF THE HOUSE HEARS OF STRANGE 
DOINGS. 

A few days after this occurrence there was a great 
bustle in the Sesemann house, and hurried running up 
and down stairs, for the master of the house had just 
returned from his journey. Sebastian and Tinette were 
bringing in one package after another from the well- 
laden carriage, for Herr Sesemann always brought home 
many beautiful things. 

He went first of all to his daughter’s room to greet 
her. Heidi was sitting beside her, for it was late in 
the afternoon, when the two were always together. 
Klara greeted her father with great tenderness, for she 
loved him dearly, and the good papa showed no less 
affection toward his little Klara. Then he reached out 
his hand to Heidi, who had quietly withdrawn into a 
corner, and said kindly : — 

“ And this is our little Swiss girl, I suppose ; come 
here and give me your hand ! That ’s right ! Now tell 
me, are you and Klara good friends ? You do not quar- 
rel and get cross, and then cry and make up, and then 
begin all over again ? ” 

“ No, Klara is always good to me,” replied Heidi. 

126 


STRANGE DOINGS. 


127 


“ And Heidi has never tried to quarrel, papa,” quickly- 
added Klara. 

‘‘That’s good; I am glad to hear that,” said her 
papa as he rose. “ But now you must allow me, Klar- 
chen, to get some luncheon, for I have had nothing to 
eat to-day. Later I will come back to you, and you 
shall see what I have brought home.” • 

Herr Sesemann went into the dining-room, where 
Fraulein Rottenmeier was overseeing the table laid for 
his midday meal. After Herr Sesemann had sat down, 
and the lady, looking like a living picture of gloom, had 
taken a seat opposite him, the master of the house said 
to her : — 

“Fraulein Rottenmeier, what am I to think? You 
have put on a truly alarming face at my return. What 
is the matter? Klara is very lively.” 

“Herr Sesemann,” began the lady with impressive 
earnestness, “ Klara is also concerned ; we have been 
frightfully deceived.” 

“How so?” asked Herr Sesemann, calmly sipping 
his coffee. 

« We had decided, as you know, Herr Sesemann, to 
have a companion for Klara in the house, and as I knew 
very well how particular you were to have only good 
and noble associates for your daughter, I fixed my mind 
on a young Swiss girl, expecting to see such a person 
appear as I had often read about — one who sprung up 
in the pure mountain air, so to speak ; goes through life 
without touching the earth.” 

“I think,” remarked Herr Sesemann, “that Swiss 


128 


HEIDI. 


children touch the earth, if they move along, otherwise 
they would have wings instead of feet.” 

“Ah, Herr Sesemann, you know what I. mean,” con- 
tinued the Fraulein. “ I mean one of those well-known 
forms living in the pure mountain regions, and which 
pass by us like an ideal breath.” 

“ But what would my Klara do with an ideal breath, 
Fraulein Rottenmeier ? ” 

“No, Herr Sesemann, I am not joking; the matter 
is more serious to me than you think ; I have been 
frightfully, really quite frightfully deceived.” 

“ But how so frightfully ? The child does n’t seem to 
me so very frightful,” remarked Herr Sesemann calmly. 

“You should know just one thing, Herr Sesemann, 
only one — what sort of people and animals this creature 
has filled your house with in your absence ; the Herr 
Kandidat can tell you about that.” 

“ With animals ? What am I to understand by that, 
Fraulein Rottenmeier ? ” 

“ It is not to be understood ; this creature’s whole 
conduct is past understanding, except from one point of 
view, that she has attacks of being out of her mind.” 

Up to this time Herr Sesemann had not taken the 
matter seriously ; but “out of her mind”? This might 
have serious consequences for his daughter. Herr 
Sesemann looked at Fraulein Rottenmeier very closely, 
as if he wished first to assure himself that she herself 
was not troubled in that way. Just at this moment 
the door opened and the Herr Kandidat was ushered in. 

“Ah, here comes our Herr Kandidat, who will 


STRANGE DOINGS. 


129 


give us an explanation ! ” exclaimed Herr Sesemann to 
him. “ Come, come and sit down by me ! ” and he 
held out his hand to him. 

“ The Herr Kandidat will drink a cup of black coffee 
with me, Fraulein Rottenmeier ! Sit down, sit down; 
don’t be formal ! And now tell me, my dear sir, what 
is the matter with the child who has come into my 
house to be a companion for my daughter, and whom 
you are teaching. What is the story about her bring- 
ing animals into the house, and what is the matter with 
her mind ? ” 

The Herr Kandidat had first to express his pleasure 
at Herr Sesemann’s safe return and bid him welcome 
home; but Herr Sesemann urged him to give his opin- 
ion about the matter in question. So the Herr Kan- 
didat began: — 

“ If I were to speak my mind about the character of 
this little girl, I should first of all make especial men- 
tion of the fact that if, on the one hand, she shows a 
lack of development, which through a more or less neg- 
lected education, or, to express it better, occasioned by 
a somewhat tardy instruction, on the contrary, her good 
qualities unquestionably showing the seclusion of a long 
abode in the Alps, which, if it does n’t exceed a certain 
length of time, without doubt has its good side” — 

“ My dear Herr Kandidat,” interrupted Herr Sese- 
mann, “ you are really giving yourself too much trouble ; 
tell me, has the child alarmed you by bringing in ani- 
mals, and what do you think of her society for my little 
daughter ? ” 


130 


HEIDI. 


“ I don’t wish in any way to offend the young girl,” 
the Herr Kandidat began again, “for if she, on the one 
hand, shows a certain kind of social inexperience, due 
to the more or less uncultivated life in which she moved 
up to the time of her coming to Frankfurt, which 
coming ” — 

“ Pray excuse me, Herr Kandidat, don’t trouble your- 
self, I will — I must hasten to look after my daughter.” 

Whereupon Herr Sesemann hurried out of the room 
and did not return. He went into the library and sat 
down beside his little daughter ; Heidi rose from her 
seat. Herr Sesemann turned toward the Child, saying : 
“ Look here, little girl, bring me — wait a moment — 
bring me ” — Herr Sesemann did not exactly know 
what he wanted, but he wished to send Heidi away for 
a little while ; “bring me a glass of water.” 

“ Fresh water ? ” asked Heidi. 

“Yes, indeed! yes, indeed! quite fresh ! ” answered 
Herr Sesemann. 

Heidi disappeared. 

“Now, my dear little Klara,” said her papa, while 
he drew near to his daughter and took her hand 
in his, “ tell me clearly and distinctly what sort of 
animals your companion brought into the house, and 
why Fraulein Rottenmeier should think that she is 
sometimes not quite right in her head ; can you tell 
me that ? ” 

Klara was able to do so, for the worthy lady in her 
horror had spoken to her also about Heidi’s perplexing 
words, the meaning of which was clear to Klara. She 


STRANGE DOINGS. 


131 


first told her father about the turtle and the kittens, 
and then explained to him Heidi’s remark which had so 
shocked Fraulein Rottenmeier. Herr Sesemann burst 
into a hearty laugh. 

“ So yo'u don’t care to have me send the child home, 
Klarchen ; you are not tired of her ? ” asked her father. 



“No, no, papa; don’t do that!” exclaimed Klara 
imploringly. “ Since Heidi has been here something 
always happens every day, and the time goes so quickly ; 
not at all as it did before she came, when nothing ever 
happened ! Heidi tells me so many things. 

“ Very good, very good, Klarchen ; and here comes 
your little friend back again. Have you brought cool, 


132 


HEIDI. 


fresh water?” asked Herr Sesemann as Heidi offered 
him a glass of water. 

“Yes, fresh from the well,” replied Heidi. 

“ Did you run to the well yourself, Heidi ? ” asked 
Klara. 

“Yes, indeed; it is perfectly fresh, but I had to go 
a long way, for there were so many people at the first 
well. So I went through the whole street, but there 
were just as many people at the second well ; then I 
went to another street, and there I got the water ; and 
the gentleman with the white hair sent his regards to 
Herr Sesemann.” 

“ So your expedition was very successful ? ” said Herr 
Sesemann, laughing ; “ and who is this gentleman ? ” 

“ He was passing by the well, and then stood still 
and said : ‘As you have a glass, you might give me a 
drink ; to whom are you going to take the water ? ’ And 
I said: ‘To Herr Sesemann/ Then he laughed very 
loud and told me to give you his regards, and also said : 
‘Herr Sesemann ought to enjoy it.’ ” 

“Who could it have been ? How did the gentleman 
look ? ” asked Herr Sesemann. 

“ He laughed pleasantly and had a big gold chain 
and a gold thing with a large red stone hanging from 
it, and there was a horse’s head on his cane.” 

“That is the doctor” — “That is my old doctor,” 
said Klara and her father at the same time; and Herr 
Sesemann laughed again to himself at the thought of 
his friend and how he would regard this new way of 
having his supply of water brought to him. 


STRANGE DOINGS. 


133 


That same evening, while Herr Sesemann and Frau- 
lein Rottenmeier were sitting alone in the dining-room 
and talking over all sorts of household matters, he told 
her that his daughter’s companion was to remain in the 
house ; he thought that the child was in a normal con- 
dition, and his daughter found her society very pleas- 
ant and more enjoyable than any other. 

“ I wish, therefore,” he added very positively, “to 
have this child always treated kindly, and that her 
peculiarities shall not be considered as sins. If you 
should not be able to deal with the child alone, you 
have the prospect of valuable assistance, for my mother 
is coming very soon to my house to make a long visit, 
and she manages every one, no matter how singu- 
lar they are. You are well aware of that, Fraulein 
Rottenmeier ? ” 

“Yes, indeed, I know that, Herr Sesemann,” replied 
the lady, but not with an expression of relief at the 
assured prospect of help. 

Herr Sesemann had only a short time to remain at 
home now, and after two weeks business called him 
back to Paris, and as his little daughter would not con- 
sent to his going away so soon, he consoled her with 
the promise of a visit from her grandmamma, who 
might be expected in a few days. 

Herr Sesemann had hardly left home when a letter 
came announcing that Frau Sesemann had started from 
Holstein, where she lived on an old estate. She would 
arrive at a certain hour on the following day, and the 
carriage was to be sent to the railway station for her. 


134 


HEIDI. 


Klara was greatly delighted by the news, and told 
Heidi that evening so much about her grandmamma that 
Heidi, too, began to talk about the “grandmamma”; 
and Fraulein Rottenmeier looked at her disapprovingly, 
but the child did not think this anything strange, as 
she felt perpetually under her disapproval. When she 
started later to go to her room, Fraulein Rottenmeier 
called her first into hers, and explained then and there 
that she must never use the name “grandmamma,” but 
must address her as “gnadige Frau.” 1 

“ Do you understand this ? ” asked the lady as Heidi 
looked at her somewhat doubtfully ; but she gave her 
such a forbidding look in return that Heidi asked for 
no more explanation, although she did not understand 
the title. 


1 Gracious lady. 


CHAPTER X. 


A GRANDMAMMA. 

On the following evening there were great expecta- 
tions and lively preparations in the Sesemann house, 
and it was plain to be seen that the expected lady was 
of great importance there, and that every one felt deep 
respect for her. Tinette had put a brand-new white cap 
on her head, and Sebastian had collected a great num- 
ber of footstools, so that the lady might find one under 
her feet wherever she might sit down. Fraulein Rot- 
tenmeier, very erect, went through the rooms inspect- 
ing everything, as if to signify that even though a 
second ruling power was* near at hand, her own, for 
all that, had not come to an end. 

The carriage rolled up to the door, and Sebastian 
and Tinette rushed down the stairs; Fraulein Rotten- 
meier in a dignified way followed slowly after, for she 
knew that she had to appear to welcome Frau Sese- 
mann. Heidi had been told to go to her room and to 
wait there until she was called, for the grandmamma 
would first go to see Klara and would wish to see her 
alone. Heidi sat down in a corner and repeated what 
she was to say to Frau Sesemann. She did not have 
long to wait before Tinette thrust her head a very little 
way in at the door and said brusquely, as usual : — 

I 35 


136 


HEIDI. 


“ Go into the library.” 

Heidi had not dared to ask Fraulein Rottenmeier for 
an explanation about the manner of addressing the 
grandmamma, but she thought the lady must have 
made a mistake, for until now she had always heard a 
person called Frau or Herr, with the name following; 
so she settled the matter thus in her own mind. As 
she opened the door into the library, the grandmamma 
called out to her in a friendly voice : — 

“ Ah, here is the child ! Come here to me and let 
me look at you.” 

Heidi went to her and in her clear voice said dis- 
tinctly : — 

“ How do you do, Frau Gnadige ? ” 

“ And why not ! ” said the grandmamma, laughing. 
“ Is that what you say at home ? Did you hear that in 
the Alps ? ” 

“ No ; no one among us has that name,” answered 
Heidi earnestly. 

“Neither has any one here,” said the grandmamma, 
again laughing, and patted Heidi affectionately on the 
cheek. “It ’s no matter! In the nursery I am grand- 
mamma, and you shall call me so. You can remember 
that, can’t you ? ” 

“Yes, I can,” said Heidi confidently; “I always 
called you so before.” 

“ Well, you understand now ! ” said the grandmamma, 
nodding her head quite merrily. Then she took a good 
look at Heidi, nodding her head again from time to 
time, and Heidi looked very earnestly into her eyes. 


A GRANDMAMMA . 


137 


for they had such an expression of kindness that they 
made her feel quite at her ease, so that she could not 
look away. She had such beautiful white hair, and 
around her head a lovely lace frill, and two broad 
strings fluttered from her cap, and moved continually 
as if a light breeze hovered around the grandmamma ; 
and this seemed to Heidi very peculiar. 

“ And what is your name, child ? ” then asked the 
grandmamma. 

“ My name is only Heidi ; but if any one wants to 
call me Adelheid, I pay attention.” Heidi hesitated, 
for she felt a little guilty since she still made no reply 
if Fraulein Rottenmeier called unexpectedly, “Adel- 
heid ! ” for it did not really seem to her that this was 
her name, and Fraulein Rottenmeier was just coming 
into the room. 

“ Frau Sesemann will doubtless admit/’ broke in 
Fraulein Rottenmeier, “ that I had to choose a name 
which could be pronounced without so much difficulty, 
for the sake of the servants.” 

“My dear Rottenmeier,” replied Frau Sesemann, “if 
a person is named Heidi, and she is accustomed to the 
name, I call her so and let it remain so ! ” 

Fraulein Rottenmeier was very much troubled be- 
cause the old lady continually addressed her by her 
name alone, without any prefix ; but there was nothing 
to be done about it ; the grandmamma always had her 
own way, and there was no help for it. Besides, her 
five senses were keen and sound, and she always knew 
what was going on in the house. 


138 


HEIDI. 


On the day after her arrival, when Klara lay down 
at the usual time after dinner, the grandmamma took a 
seat in an easy-chair by her side, and closed her eyes 
for a few moments; then she jumped up, for she was 
immediately awake again, and went out into the dining- 
room ; there was no one there. “She is asleep,” she 
said to herself ; then went to Fraulein Rottenmeier’s 
room and knocked loudly on the door. After some 
time she appeared, and started back somewhat alarmed 
by the unexpected visit. 

“ Where does the child stay at this time, and what 
does she do ? I should like to know about it,” said 
Frau Sesemann. 

“ She sits in her room, where she might busy her- 
self with something useful, if she had the slightest 
inclination to do anything; but Frau Sesemann ought 
to know what absurd things this creature often plans, 
and really carries into effect — things which I could 
hardly speak about in refined society.” 

“ I should do the same if I had to sit there alone as 
this child does, I assure you, and you would see how you 
would speak of my nonsense in refined society. Now 
bring the child out and fetch her to my room ; I want 
to give her some pretty books I have brought with me.” 

“That is just the trouble ; it is indeed!” exclaimed 
Fraulein Rottenmeier, wringing her hands. “ What can 
the child do with books ? In all this time she has not 
even learned her A-B-C’s; it is really impossible to 
get a single idea into this creature’s head ; the Herr 
Kandidat can tell you about that ! If this excellent 


A GRANDMAMMA. 


139 


man did n’t possess the patience of an angel from 
heaven, he would long ago have given up trying to 
teach her.” 

“ This is very strange ; she does n’t look like a child 
who cannot learn the alphabet,” said Frau Sesemann. 
“ Now bring her to me ; she can first look at the pic- 
tures in the books.” 

Fraulein Rottenmeier was desirous of making further 
remarks, but Frau Sesemann had already turned around 
and was hurrying back to her own room. She was 
very much surprised to hear of Heidi’s stupidity, and 
thought she would make an investigation, but not with 
the Herr Kandidat, though she really valued him on 
account of his good character; she always spoke to 
him in a particularly friendly way, whenever she met 
him, but then hurried away, in order not to be drawn 
into conversation with him, for his manner of express- 
ing himself was rather annoying to her. 

Heidi came into the grandmamma’s room and opened 
her eyes wide when she saw the gay pictures in the 
large books which the lady had brought with her. Sud- 
denly Heidi screamed aloud when the grandmamma 
turned a new leaf ; she looked at the figures with gleam- 
ing eyes, then all at once bright tears rushed to them, 
and she began to sob as if her heart would break. The 
grandmamma examined the picture. It was a lovely 
green pasture, where all sorts of animals were feeding 
and nibbling the green shrubs. In the middle stood 
the shepherd, leaning on a long staff and gazing at the 
happy creatures. It seemed as if there was a golden 


140 


HEIDI. 


light over it all, for the sun was just going down beyond 
the horizon. 

The grandmamma took Heidi by the hand. 

“Come, come, child,” she said in a friendly way, 
“don’t cry, don’t cry. The picture made you remem- 
ber something ; but see, there is a lovely story about 
it, which I will tell you this evening, and there are a 
great many more beautiful stories in the book, which 
can be read and repeated. Come, we must have a little 
talk together. Dry your tears, and now stand right 
here in front of me, so that I can look straight at you ; 
there, that ’s right ; now we are happy again.” 

But it was still some time before Heidi could stop 
sobbing. The grandmamma gave her a good while to 
recover, merely saying encouragingly now and then : — 

“ There, that ’s good ; now we are happy again to- 
gether.” 

When she finally saw that the child was quieted she 
said: — 

“ Now you must tell me something, my child. How 
do you get along in the study hours with the Herr Kan- 
didat ? Are you studying well, and have you learned 
something ? ” 

“ Oh, no ! ” answered Heidi, sighing ; “ but I knew 
that it could n’t be learned.” 

“What could not be learned, Heidi? what do you 
mean ? ” 

“ People can’t learn to read ; it is too hard.” 

“ What an idea ! And where did you hear this 
news ? ” 


A GRANDMAMMA. 


141 


“ Peter told me so, and he knows about it. He has 
to keep trying, but he can never learn; it is too 
hard.” 

“ Well, Peter is a strange fellow ! But, see here, 
Heidi, you must not always take for granted what Peter 
tells you ; you must try for yourself. Surely you have 
not listened with all your mind to the Herr Kandidat, 
and looked at the letters.” 

“ It ’s of no use,” asserted Heidi with a tone of 
entire submission to the inevitable. 

“Heidi,” said the grandmamma, “now I am going 
to tell you something : you have not learned to read 
yet because you believed your Peter ; but now you 
must believe me, and I tell you, really and truly, that 
you can learn to read in a short time, like a great many 
children, who are like you and not like Peter. And 
now you must know what will happen when you can 
read. You have seen the shepherd in the beautiful 
green pasture. As soon as you can read you shall 
have the book for your own, so that you can learn his 
whole story, just as if some one told it to you ; all 
that he is doing with his sheep and goats, and all the 
remarkable things that happened to him. You would 
like to know this, would n’t you, Heidi ? ” 

Heidi had listened with the eagerest attention, and 
now she said, with beaming eyes, and drawing a deep 
breath: — 

“ Oh, if I could only read now ! ” 

“ It will come, and it won’t take long ; that I can see 
already, Heidi. And now we must look after Klara; 


142 


HEIDI. 


come, we will brirfg the lovely books with us.” And 
the grandmamma took Heidi by the hand and went 
with her into the library. 

Since the day when Heidi had wanted to go home, 
and Fraulein Rottenmeier had scolded her on the steps 
and told her how naughty and ungrateful she had shown 
herself by wishing to run away, and that it would be a 
good thing if Herr Sesemann never knew about it, a 
change had taken place in the child. She had the idea 
that she could not go home if she wished, as her aunt 
had told her, but that she must stay in Frankfurt for a 
long, long time, perhaps forever. She had also under- 
stood that Herr Sesemann, when he came home, would 
think her very ungrateful, and she imagined that Klara 
and her grandmamma would think so too. So Heidi 
dared tell no one that she wanted to go home, for she 
did not wish to cause the grandmamma to be cross, 
like Fraulein Rottenmeier. But in her heart the bur- 
den grew heavier and heavier ; she could no longer eat ; 
every day she grew a little paler. At night she often 
lay awake for a long, long time ; for as soon as she was 
alone, and all was still around her, everything came so 
lifelike before her eyes — the Aim and the sunshine 
on it and the flowers ! And when finally she fell asleep, > 
she would see in her dreams the red pointed cliffs of 
Falkniss, and the fiery snow field of Casaplana, and in 
the morning she would awake and, full of joy, be ready 
to run out of the hut ; suddenly she was in her big 
bed in Frankfurt, so far, far away, and could not go 
home ! Then Heidi would bury her head in her pillow 


A GRANDMAMMA. 


143 


and weep very softly so that no one might hear her. 
Heidi’s unhappiness did not escape the grandmamma’s 
notice. She let some days pass by to see if there would 
be any change in her — if her down-heartedness would 
pass away. But as Heidi remained the same, and the 
grandmamma could often see early in the morning that 
she had been crying, she called the child one day into 
her room and said with the greatest kindness : — 

“ Now tell me, Heidi, what is the matter ? Is some- 
thing grieving you ? ” 

But Heidi would not seem ungrateful to the kind 
grandmamma, for fear she might no longer be so 
friendly toward her ; so she said sadly : — 

“ I cannot tell you.” 

« No ? Can you not tell Klara ? ” asked the grand- 
mamma. 

“ Oh, no, I can’t tell anybody ! ” said Heidi decidedly, 
and looking so unhappy that the grandmamma pitied 
her. 

“ Come, my child,” she said, “I want to tell you 
something. When we have a sorrow we cannot speak 
to anybody about, then we tell the dear God in heaven, 
and ask him to help us, for he can take away every sor- 
row that troubles us. You understand that, don’t you ? 
You pray every night to the dear God in heaven, and 
thank him for everything good, and ask him to keep 
you from all harm, don’t you ? ” 

“ Oh, no, I never do that ! ” answered the child. 

‘‘Have you never prayed, then, Heidi ? Do you not 
know what it is ? ” 


144 


HEIDI. 


“ I used to pray with the first grandmother, but it is 
so long ago that I have forgotten about it.” 

“You see, Heidi, the reason you are so sad is be- 
cause you know no one that can help you. Just think 
what a good thing it is, when something troubles and 
distresses you in your heart, that you can go any moment 
to the dear Lord and tell him everything, and ask him 
to help you, when no one else can help you ! And he 
can always help you and make you happy again.” 

A glad light came into Heidi’s eyes : — 

“ Can I tell him everything, everything ? ” 

“ Everything, Heidi, everything.” 

The child drew her hand out of the grandmamma’s 
and said quickly : — 

“ Can I go ? ” 

“Certainly! certainly!” was the reply; and Heidi 
ran away to her own room and sat down on a footstool, 
folded her hands and told the dear Lord everything 
that was in her heart, everything that made her sad, 
and asked him, urgently and sincerely, to help her and 
let her go home to her grandfather. 

A little more than a week had passed since this day, 
when the Herr Kandidat asked to see Frau Sesemann, 
as he wished to talk with her about an important mat- 
ter. He was called into her room. Frau Sesemann 
politely offered him her hand : — 

“ My dear Herr Kandidat, I am glad to see you ! Sit 
down here by me ” ; she pushed a chair toward him. 
“ There, now tell me what brings you here ; nothing 
unpleasant, no complaint ? ” 


A GRANDMAMMA. 


145 


“ On the contrary, gracious madam,” began the Herr 
Kandidat, “ something has happened which I no longer 
expected, and any one who could have glanced at what 
went before, after all suppositions, would have decided 
that what has actually happened and taken place in the 
most wonderful way was utterly impossible, as if in 
opposition to all consistent to the” — 

“ Has the child Heidi possibly learned to read, Herr 
Kandidat ? ” broke in Frau Sesemann. 

The Herr Kandidat, taken aback, looked at the lady 
in speechless amazement. 

“ It is really quite wonderful,” he said at last, “ not 
only that the little girl, after all my thorough explana- 
tion and unusual pains, did not learn her A-B-C’s, but 
also, and especially, that in the shortest time after I had 
decided to give up the unattainable, and without further 
explanation, to bring the bare letters, so to speak, before 
the little girl’s eyes, she took hold of the reading over- 
night as it were, and then at once read the words with 
such correctness as I have seldom found with beginners. 
Almost equally wonderful to me is the gracious lady’s 
perception in straightway suspecting that this improb- 
able fact was possible.” 

“ A great many wonderful things happen in the 
course of one’s life,” affirmed Frau Sesemann, laughing 
with satisfaction. “Two things might happen fortu- 
nately; for instance, new zeal in learning and a new 
method in teaching ; and neither can do any harm, Herr 
Kandidat. Let us rejoice that the child has done so 
well, and let us hope for good progress.” 


146 


HEIDI. 


Whereupon she accompanied the teacher out of the 
room and went quickly to the library, to assure herself 
that the delightful news was true. It was ! There sat 
Heidi, reading a story to Klara, and with growing eager- 
ness pushing into the new world opened to her ; men 
and things suddenly became alive and stepped out of 
the black letters and took part in affecting stories. 

That same evening, as they were sitting down to the 
table, Heidi found the large book with the beautiful 
pictures lying on her plate, and when she looked 
inquiringly at the grandmamma, Frau Sesemann said, 
nodding in a friendly way : — 

“ Yes, yes, now it belongs to you.” 

“ For always ? Even when I go home ? ” asked Heidi, 
blushing with delight. 

“ Certainly, for always ! ” said the grandmamma 
assuringly ; “ to-morrow we will begin to read it.” 

“ But you are not going home, not for a good many 
years, Heidi,” broke in Klara; “if grandmamma goes 
away, you must surely stay with me.” 

Before she went to sleep Heidi had to look at her 
beautiful book in her own room, and from that day 
forth she liked nothing better than to sit with it, read- 
ing over and over again the stories belonging to the 
lovely pictures. In the evening the grandmamma 
would say : “ Now Heidi will read to us ” ; and this de- 
lighted the child, for now she could read easily ; and as 
she read the stories aloud they became much more beau- 
tiful, and she understood them better, and the grand- 
mamma explained so much to her, and always told her 


A GRANDMAMMA. 


147 


still more about them. Heidi liked to look again and 
again at the green pasture and the shepherd in the 
midst of his flock, standing so contentedly, leaning on 
his long staff, for there he was still with his father’s 
flock, following the merry lambs and goats, for this was 
his delight. 

Then came the picture where he had run away from 
his father’s house, and was in a strange land, obliged to 
tend the swine, and had grown very thin because he 



had nothing but husks to eat. The sun no longer 
shone so golden in this picture, and the land looked 
gray and gloomy. But there was still another picture 
to the story, in which the old father, with outstretched 
arms, is coming out of the house and running to wel- 


148 


HEIDI. 


come the penitent son, who, in a ragged jacket, is 
returning home faint-hearted and wasted away. This 
was Heidi’s favorite story, and she read it over and over 
again, both aloud and to herself ; and she was never 
tired of hearing the explanation which the grandmamma 
gave. There were a great many other beautiful stories 
in the book, and with reading these and looking at the 
pictures the days passed away quickly, and the time 
soon drew near when the grandmamma had decided to 
go home. 


CHAPTER XI. 


HEIDI IMPROVES IN SOME RESPECTS, AND IN OTHERS 
GROWS WORSE. 

Every afternoon when Klara was lying down, and 
Fraulein Rottenmeier, apparently in need of rest, mys- 
teriously disappeared, the grandmamma sat down by 
Klara for a while, but after five minutes she was on her 
feet again, and always called Heidi to her room to 
talk with her, keep her busy, and amuse her in various 
ways. The grandmamma had pretty little dolls and 
pieces of the most marvelous bright-colored materials, 
which she showed Heidi how to make into dresses and 
aprons and cloaks for them ; so the little girl uncon- 
sciously learned to sew. Now that Heidi could read, 
she always read some of her stories aloud to the grand- 
mamma ; and this gave her the greatest pleasure, for 
the more she read them the dearer they became to her. 
Heidi entered so vividly into the characters and their 
experiences that she felt closely related to them and 
took more and more pleasure in their company. But 
she never looked quite happy, and there was no longer 
any merriment in her eyes. 

It was the last week that the grandmamma was to 
spend in Frankfurt. She had called for Heidi to come 
into her room ; Klara was taking her nap. When Heidi 

149 


150 


HEIDI. 


entered with her big book under her arm, the grand- 
mamma motioned to her to come close to her, laid the 
book aside, and said : — 

“ Now come, my child, and tell me why you are not 
happy. Have you still the same trouble in your heart ? ” 
‘‘Yes,” said Heidi, nodding. 

“ Have you told the dear Lord about it ? ” 

“Yes.” 

“ And do you pray every day that all may be well, 
and that he will make you happy? ” 

“Oh, no, I don’t pray any more now.” 

“ What do you tell me, Heidi ? what do I hear ? Why 
don’t you pray any longer ? ” 

“ It ’s of no use ; the dear Lord did not listen ; and 
I really believe,” continued Heidi, somewhat excited, 
“when so many, many people in Frankfurt are pray- 
ing together at night, the dear Lord cannot pay atten- 
tion to them all, and so he has certainly not, heard me.” 
“Why, how do you know that this is so, Heidi ? ” 

“ I prayed the same prayer every day for many long 
weeks, and the dear Lord never answered me.” 

“That is not so, Heidi ! You must n’t have such an 
idea! You see, the dear Lord is a good Father to us 
all ! He always knows what is good for us, if we do 
not know it. But if we want something from him 
that is not good for us, he does not give it to us, but 
something much better, if we continue to pray to him 
sincerely, and do not run away and lose all confidence 
in him. You see, what you wished to ask of him was 
not good for you just now ; the dear Lord heard you ; 


HEIDI IMPROVES IN SOME RESPECTS. 151 

he can hear and see every one at the same time, be- 
cause he is God, and not a human being like you and 
me, and because he knew what was good for you, he 
thought to himself : — 

“‘Yes, Heidi shall have what she asks for, but not 
until it is good for her, and when she will be quite happy 
about it. For if I should do now what she wants, and 
she finds afterwards that it would have been better if 
I had not done what she wished, then she would cry 
and say : “ If only the dear Lord had not given me 
what I asked for ! It is not so good as I thought it 
would be ! ” ’ And while the dear Lord was looking 
down to see whether you really trusted him and came 
to him every day and prayed when you needed any- 
thing, you have run away, no longer prayed, and quite 
forgotten him. 

“ But, you see, when one does so, and the dear Lord 
no longer hears his voice in prayer, he forgets him, too, 
and lets him go whither he will. But when one is in 
trouble and complains, ‘There is no one to help me!’ 
we feel no pity for him, but say: ‘You yourself ran 
away from the dear Lord, who could have helped you ! ’ 
Do you want it to be so, Heidi, or will you go right 
away to the dear Lord and ask his forgiveness for hav- 
ing turned away from him, and then pray every day, 
and trust him so that everything will be made right 
for you, and you may have a happy heart again ? ” 

Heidi had listened very attentively ; every word of 
the grandmamma had gone to her heart, for the child 
had perfect confidence in her. 


152 


HEIDI. 


“ I will go now, right away, and ask God to forgive 
me, and I will never forget him again,” said Heidi 
penitently. 

“ That is right, my child ; he will help you at the 
right time, only be trustful ! ” said the grandmamma 
encouragingly ; and Heidi ran away to her room at once 
and prayed earnestly and penitently to the dear Lord, 
and asked him not to forget her, but to look down upon 
her again. 

The day for the grandmamma’s departure had come, 
and it was a sad day for Klara and Heidi ; but the 
grandmamma managed it so that they were not aware 
that it was a sad day, but rather a festival, until she 
went away in the carriage. Then the house seemed as 
empty and still as if everything had come to an end, 
and throughout the rest of the day Klara and Heidi 
sat as if lost, and did not know what would happen 
next. 

The next day when the lessons were over, and it was 
time for the children to sit together as usual, Heidi 
came in with her book under her arm and said : — 

“ I am always, always going to read aloud to you ; 
would you like to have me, Klara ? ” 

Klara agreed to this proposal, and Heidi made haste 
to begin her task. But it was not long before it all 
came to an end, for Heidi had scarcely begun to read a 
story, which told about a dying grandmother, than she 
suddenly screamed aloud : — 

“ Oh, now the grandmother is dead ! ” She burst 
into pitiful weeping, for everything that Heidi read 


HEIDI IMPROVES IN SOME RESPECTS. 


153 


was to her actually taking place, and she believed 
nothing else than that the grandmother on the Aim 
was dead ; so she cried louder and louder : — 

“Now the grandmother is dead and I can never go 
to her, and she has never had a single roll ! ” 

Klara tried to explain to Heidi that it was not the 
grandmother on the Aim, but an entirely different one, 
whom the story was telling about ; but even when this 
mistake was finally made clear to the excited Heidi, she 
could not calm herself, and went on crying inconsol- 
ably, for the thought had been awakened in her mind 
that the grandmother really might die, and her grand- 
father too, while she was so far away, and then if she 
should go home after a long time, it would be so still 
and lifeless on the Aim, and she would be all alone, 
and could never again see those who were dear to her. 

In the mean time Fraulein Rottenmeier had come 
into the room and heard Klara’s attempt to explain 
Heidi’s mistake. But when the child still could not 
stop sobbing, she went with evident signs of impatience 
toward the children and said in a decided voice : — 
“Adelheid, we have had enough of your useless 
screaming ! I want to tell you something ; if you ever 
again, while you are reading your stories, give vent to 
such an outbreak, I will take the book away from you 
and not return it.” 

This made an impression. Heidi turned pale with 
fright. The book was her dearest treasure. She has- 
tily dried her tears and swallowed and choked down 
her sobs with all her might, so that no further sound 


154 


HEIDI. 


was heard from her. This means took effect. Heidi 
did not cry again, no matter what she read ; but many 
a time she had to make such an effort to control her- 
self and not scream out, that Klara often said, quite 
surprised : — 

“ Heidi, you are making the most frightful faces I 
ever saw ! ” 

But the faces made no sound and did not offend 
Dame Rottenmeier, and when Heidi had overcome 
her attack of desperate sadness everything went on in 
the old way and passed along quietly. But Heidi lost 
her appetite and was so thin and pale that Sebastian 
could hardly bear to look on and see how the child let 
the nicest dishes pass by untouched. He often whis- 
pered to her encouragingly when he passed her some- 
thing : — 

“Take some of it, Mamsell, it is fine. Not such a 
little ! A good spoonful, and another ! ” But his 
fatherly advice did no good. Heidi ate almost nothing 
at all, and at night when she lay down on her pillow 
everything at home instantly came before her eyes, 
and then, out of homesickness, she wept in her pillow 
very softly, so that no one might hear her. 

A long time passed in this way. Heidi scarcely 
knew whether it was summer or winter, for the walls 
and windows, which were the only things to be seen 
from the Sesemann house, always looked the same, 
and she went out only when Klara was particularly 
well, and could be taken for a drive in the carriage; 
and this was always very short, for Klara could not 


HEIDI 'IMPROVES IN SOME RESPECTS. 


155 


bear to go far. So they seldom went beyond walls 
and pavements, but usually turned round before they 
reached the suburbs ; so that all they saw was beauti- 
ful wide streets, where plenty of houses and people 
were to be seen, but no grass and flowers, no fir trees, 
and no mountains ; and Heidi’s longing for a glimpse 
of the beautiful things she had been accustomed to 
increased every day. Now the mere name of one of 
these suggestive words was enough to 
cause an outbreak of pain, and Heidi 
had to struggle against it with all her 
might. 

Thus passed the autumn and win- 
ter ; and the sun had already become 
so dazzling on the white walls of the 
houses opposite that Heidi surmised 
the time was drawing near for Peter 
to drive the goats up on the Aim 
again, and the golden rock-roses would be glistening 
in the sunshine, and every evening all the moun- 
tains round would be on fire. Heidi would sit down in 
a corner of her lonely room and put both hands over 
her eyes, so that she might not see the sunlight on the 
walls opposite ; and thus she would sit without stir- 
ring, silently fighting against her burning homesick- 
ness, until Klara called for her again. 



CHAPTER XII. 


THE SESEMANN HOUSE IS HAUNTED. 

For several days Fraulein Rottenmeier had been 
going about the house, for the most part, in silence 
and wrapt in thought. If at dusk she went from one 
room to another, or through the long corridor, she 
often looked around her and into the corners, giving a 
quick glance behind now and then, as if she thought 
some one might be coming softly after her and, un- 
noticed, pull her dress. She went alone into the living- 
rooms only. If she had something to do on the upper 
floor where the handsomely furnished guest-rooms were 
situated, or downstairs in the great mysterious hall, in 
which every step gave a resounding echo, and the old 
senators, with their big white collars, looked down from 
the walls so sternly and steadily with their big eyes, 
she would pretend there was something to carry up or 
down, and she would summon Tinette and tell her she 
must come with her. Tinette did exactly the same ; if 
she had any work to do upstairs or down, she would 
call Sebastian and tell him he was to go with her, for 
she might have something to carry which she could not 
manage alone. Strange to say, Sebastian did precisely 
the same ; if he was sent to the remote part of the 
house, he called up Johann and directed him to accom- 

* 5 6 


THE SESEMANN HOUSE IS HAUNTED. 


157 


pany him, for fear he could not bring what was needed. 
Each one followed the other quite willingly, although 
there was really nothing to be carried, and each might 
have gone alone ; but it seemed as if the companion 
always thought he might soon need the other for the 
same service. While this was going on upstairs, the 
cook, who had been in the house for many years, stood 
below, deep in thought among her pots, and shook her 
head and sighed : — 

“ That I should live to see this ! ” 

For some time there had been something strange 
and uncanny going on in the Sesemann house. Every 
morning when the servants came down the house door 
stood wide open, but no one was to be seen anywhere 
about who could give any account of the matter. The 
first few times when this happened all the chambers 
and rooms of the house were anxiously searched to see 
what had been stolen, for they thought a thief had 
broken into the house in the night and had escaped 
with his booty ; but such was not the case ; not a single 
thing in the whole house was missing. 

At night the door was not only double locked, but 
also a wooden bar was put across ; it made no differ- 
ence, in the morning the door stood wide open; and no 
matter how early the servants in their excitement came 
down, there stood the door open ; yet everything round 
about was wrapt in deep sleep, and the doors and win- 
dows in all the other houses were still firmly fastened. 

At last Johann and Sebastian took courage, and at 
Dame Rottenmeier’s urgent request, prepared to spend 


158 


HEIDI. 


the night below in the room adjoining the great hall, to 
see what would happen. 

Fraulein Rottenmeier got out some of Herr Sese- 
mann’s weapons and gave them to Sebastian. 

The two men sat down on the appointed evening, and 
after being at first very talkative they became rather 
sleepy ; whereupon they both leaned back in their chairs 
and were silent. When the old tower .clock struck 
twelve, Sebastian grew bold and called to his compan- 
ion ; but he was not easy to waken ; as often as Sebas- 
tian called to him he would turn his head from one side 
of the chair back to the other and go to sleep again. 
Sebastian now listened eagerly, for he was wide awake 
again. It was as still as a mouse everywhere ; even in 
the street there was no sound to be heard. Sebastian 
did not go to sleep again, for it seemed to him uncanny 
in the deep stillness, and he called Johann in a subdued 
voice and shook him a little from time to time. Finally, 
when it had struck one o’clock, Johann woke up and 
realized why he was sitting in a chair and not lying in 
his bed. Suddenly he began to be very brave and 
called out : — 

“Now, Sebastian, we must go out and see how 
things are ; you need n’t be afraid. Come after me.” 

Johann opened wide the room door, which had been 
left ajar, and stepped outside. At the same moment 
a sharp gust of air blew in from the open house door 
and put out the light which Johann held in his hand. 
He rushed back, almost threw Sebastian, who was 
standing behind him, backwards into the room, then 


THE SESEMANN HOUSE IS HAUNTED. 159 

dragged him along, closed the door, and in feverish 
haste turned the key as far as it would go. Then he 
pulled out his match-box and made a light again. 
Sebastian did not know just what had happened, for, 
standing behind the broad-shouldered Johann, he had 
not so plainly felt the draft of air. But when they 
could see each other by the light, Sebastian cried out 
from fright, for Johann was deadly pale and trembled 
like an aspen leaf. 

“ What is the matter ? What was outside there ? ” 
asked Sebastian anxiously. 

“The door was as wide open as it could be/’ gasped 
Johann, “ and there was a white form on the steps ; you 
see, Sebastian, it came up the steps, disappeared, and 
was gone.” 

Cold shivers ran down Sebastian’s back. Then they 
sat down very close together and did not stir again 
until it was morning and people began to be moving 
in the street. Then they went out together, closed the 
open door, and went upstairs to tell Fraulein Rotten- 
meier about their experience. The lady was quite ready 
to talk, for the expectation of what might happen had 
kept her from sleeping. As soon as she learned what 
had occurred she sat down and wrote such a letter to 
Herr Sesemann as he had never received before. In 
it she said that her fingers were paralyzed with fright. 
Herr Sesemann must immediately come home, for the 
most unheard-of things had happened there. Then she 
told him what had taken place ; how the door was found 
wide open every morning, and in consequence no one 


160 


HEIDI. 


in the house was any longer sure of his life, and that 
no one could tell what horrible results might follow 
this mysterious occurrence. Herr Sesemann replied 
by return of mail that it was impossible for him to 
leave his business so suddenly to come home. The 
ghost story was very strange, and he hoped it was all 
past. Meanwhile, if there should be any further 
trouble, Fraulein Rottenmeier might write to Frau 
Sesemann and ask her to come to Frankfurt to their 
assistance; his mother would surely dispel the ghosts 
in a very short space of time, and after that they would 
never again venture to disturb his house. 

Fraulein Rottenmeier was not pleased with the tone 
of this letter ; the matter had made too little impres- 
sion on him. She wrote immediately to Frau Sese- 
mann, but she did not get any more satisfaction from 
this direction, and the reply contained some very sar- 
castic remarks. Frau Sesemann wrote that she did not 
think it worth while for her to travel from Holstein to 
Frankfurt because Rottenmeier saw ghosts. Moreover, 
a ghost had never been seen in the Sesemann house, 
and if there was one wandering around there now, it 
could be nothing but a living being, and Rottenmeier 
ought to be able to come to an understanding with it ; 
if not, she should call the night watchman to her aid. 

But Fraulein Rottenmeier was determined not to 
spend her days any longer in terror, and she knew how 
to help herself. Until then she had told the children 
nothing about the appearance of a ghost, lest they 
should be afraid to stay alone a single moment day or 


THE SESEMANN HOUSE IS HAUNTED. 


161 


night, and that might have very uncomfortable conse- 
quences for her. Now she went straight to the library, 
where the two were sitting together, and in a sup- 
pressed voice told them how a strange being appeared 
every night. Immediately Klara screamed out that she 
would not stay alone another moment, that her papa 
must come home, and Fraulein Rottenmeier must sleep 
in her room, and Heidi ought not to be alone either, or 
the ghost might come to her and do her some harm. 
She wanted them all to stay in the same room and to 
have a light burning all night, and Tinette must sleep 
near, and Sebastian and Johann must come down and 
spend the night in the hall, in order to scream and 
frighten away the ghost if it should come up on the 
stairs. 

Klara was very much excited, and Fraulein Rotten- 
meier had the greatest difficulty to quiet her. She 
promised to write to her papa immediately, and to put 
her bed in Klara’s room, and never to leave her alone 
again. They could not all sleep in the same room, but 
if Adelheid was afraid, Tinette must put up a couch in 
her room. But Heidi was more afraid of Tinette than 
of ghosts, for she had never even heard of such things, 
and she insisted that she was not afraid and preferred 
to remain alone in her room. 

Hereupon Fraulein Rottenmeier flew to her writing 
table and wrote to Herr Sesemann how the mysterious 
proceedings which were repeated every night in his 
house had so affected his daughter’s delicate constitu- 
tion that the most serious consequences were to be 


162 


HEIDI. 


anticipated. Examples were known of sudden epileptic 
seizures, or attacks of St. Vitus’s dance, in similar cases, 
and his daughter was liable to any such misfortune if 
the house were not relieved from this state of terror. 

This had some effect. Two days later Herr Sese- 
mann was standing at his door and rang so violently that 
every one in the house came hurrying down, and each 
gazed at the other, for they believed nothing dess than 
that the ghost was most impudently playing his evil 
tricks even in the daytime. Sebastian, on the floor 
above, cautiously peered out through a half-opened 
shutter; and just at that instant there was another 
ring at the bell, and this time so imperatively that no 
doubt was left in any one’s mind that it was a human 
hand behind the summons. 

Sebastian had recognized the hand, dashed through 
the room, flew headfirst downstairs, but landed on his 
feet at the bottom and flung the front door open. 
Herr Sesemann did not stop to talk with him, but went 
immediately up to his daughter’s room. Klara received 
her papa with a cry of joy, and when he saw her look- 
ing so cheerful and unaltered, his face, which had looked 
very stern, Softened, and his expression grew more and 
more pleasant, as he heard from his daughter’s own 
lips that she was as well as usual, and that she was 
perfectly delighted to have him at home again, and that 
she was most grateful to the ghost that was haunting 
the house, because it had caused her papa to come 
home. 

“ And what further pranks has the ghost been up 


THE SESEMANN HOUSE IS HAUNTED. 


163 


to, Fraulein Rottenmeier ? ” asked Herr Sesemann with 
a comical expression in the corners of his mouth. 

“Indeed, Herr Sesemann,” replied that lady with 
solemnity, “ it is no laughing matter. I have no doubt 
at all that by to-morrow Herr Sesemann will find it 
serious enough ; for what is going on in this house 
signifies that something terrible must have happened 
here in days gone by and have been kept secret.” 

“Well, I know nothing about it,” observed Herr 
Sesemann, “ but I must beg of you not to harbor any 
suspicions of my most honorable ancestors. And now 
call Sebastian into the dining-room ; I wish to talk with 
him alone.” 

Herr Sesemann went into the dining-room, and Sebas- 
tian made his appearance. Herr Sesemann had not 
failed to observe that Sebastian and Fraulein Rotten- 
meier were not the best of friends ; so he had his sus- 
picions. 

“ Come here, Sebastian,” said he, beckoning the ser- 
vant to enter. “ Now tell me honestly, have you not 
your own self been playing the part of a ghost in order 
to plague Fraulein Rottenmeier a little? Tell me!” 

“ No, on my word ; you must not think any such 
thing ; I myself have not felt at all comfortable about 
the matter,” replied Sebastian with unmistakable frank- 
ness. 

“ Well, if that is the case, I will show you and the 
brave Johann to-morrow how ghosts look by daylight. 
Shame upon you, Sebastian ! a strong young fellow 
like you running away from ghosts ! Now go at once 


164 


HEIDI. 


to my old friend, Dr. Classen ; give him my compli- 
ments, and tell him he must come here without fail 
to-night at nine o’clock. I have come home from Paris 
on purpose to consult him. It is such a serious matter 
that he must spend the night with me ; he must make 
his arrangements accordingly. Do you understand, 
Sebastian ? ” 

“Yes, indeed; yes, indeed ! Herr Sesemann maybe 
sure that I shall do as he says.” 

Sebastian left the room, and Herr Sesemann turned 
to his little daughter to quiet her fears about the appa- 
rition, which he was going that very day to put in its 
true light. 

Punctually at nine o’clock, when the children had 
gone to sleep and Fraulein Rottenmeier had retired, 
the doctor appeared, showing still under his gray hair 
a very fresh face and two bright, kind twinkling eyes. 
He looked somewhat anxious, but as his friend greeted 
him, broke out into a hearty laugh and said, clapping 
him on the shoulder: — 

“ Well, well, for one who needs to be watched with, 
you look tolerably hearty, old friend.” 

“ Have patience, my dear doctor,” replied Herr Sese- 
mann ; “the one you have to watch with will look worse 
when we have caught him.” 

“ What ! a sick person in the house and one that 
must be caught ? ” 

“ Far worse, doctor, far worse. A ghost in the 
house; the house is haunted!” 

The doctor laughed aloud. 


THE SESEMANN HOUSE IS HAUNTED. 


165 


“ A fine state of affairs, doctor ! ” continued Herr 
Sesemann. “It’s a shame that my friend Rotten- 
meier cannot enjoy it. She is convinced that a former 
Sesemann is wandering about here and expiating some 
dreadful deed.” 

“How did she find out about it ?” asked the doctor, 
still very much amused. 

Herr Sesemann now told his friend about the whole 
proceeding, and added that, in order to be prepared for 
whatever might happen, he had left two well-loaded 
revolvers where they were to watch ; for either the 
affair was a very undesirable joke, which possibly some 
of the servants’ acquaintances were playing, in order 
to frighten the people in the house during the master’s 
absence — in that case a little scare, such as a good 
shot into the air, could not be unwholesome — or else 
it was a case of thieves, who had taken this means to 
make them think they were ghosts, in order to be safer 
later on, as no one would dare to venture forth ; if this 
were so, a good weapon might not come amiss. 

During this explanation the gentlemen had gone 
downstairs and entered the same room where Johann 
and Sebastian had watched. On the table lay the two 
revolvers, and two brightly lighted candelabra stood in 
the centre, for Herr Sesemann did not care to await 
the ghost in a dim light. 

The door was now put together, so that too much 
light need not shine out into the hall to frighten away 
the ghost. Then the gentlemen seated themselves com- 
fortably in their easy-chairs and began to talk about all 


166 


HEIDI. 


sorts of things, now and then taking a little refresh- 
ment, and so the clock struck twelve before they were 
aware of it. 

“ The ghost has spied us out and is not coming 
to-night at all,” said the doctor. 

“ Have patience, it may come at one o’clock,” replied 
his friend. 

They went on with their talking. It struck one. It 
was perfectly still all about ; even on the street there 
was no sound to be heard. Suddenly the doctor lifted 
his finger : — 

“ Sh, Sesemann ! don’t you hear something ? ” 

They both listened. They heard the bar softly but 
quite distinctly pushed back, the key turned twice in 
the lock, and the door was opened. Herr Sesemann 
reached after the revolver. 

“ You are not afraid?” said the doctor, rising. 

“ It is better to be cautious,” whispered Herr Sese- 
mann, seizing the candelabrum with three candles in 
his left hand, and the revolver in his right, and followed 
the doctor, who proceeded likewise provided with lights 
and a revolver. They stepped out into the corridor. 

Through the wide-open door the pale moonlight 
came in and lighted up a white form, which stood 
motionless on the threshold. 

“ Who is there ? ” the doctor thundered forth, so that 
it echoed through the entire length of the corridor, and 
both gentlemen, with lights and weapons, went toward 
the figure. It turned around and gave a little scream. 
There stood Heidi, with bare feet, in her white night- 




THE SESEMANN HOUSE IS HAUNTED. 


167 


clothes, looking bewildered at the bright lights and 
the firearms, and shivering and trembling from head 
to foot like a little leaf in the wind. The gentle- 
men looked at each other in the greatest astonish- 
ment. 

“ I really believe, Sesemann, that it is your little 
water-carrier,” said the doctor. 

“ Child, what does this mean ? ” asked Herr Sese- 
mann. “What are you going to do? Why have you 
come down here ? ” 

White as snow, from fright, Heidi stood there 
and said, scarcely 
able to make a 
sound : — 

“ I don’t know.” 

Then the doc- 
tor stepped for- 
ward : — 

“ Sesemann, the 
case belongs to my 
domain ; go and sit 
down in your easy- 
chair in there for a 
while. I will first 
of all take the child 
back where she be- 
longs.” 

Whereupon he laid his revolver on the floor, took the 
trembling child by the hand, as a father would, and 
went upstairs with her. 



168 


HEIDI. 


“ Don’t be afraid, don’t be afraid,” he said kindly, as 
they went up ; “ only be very quiet ; there is no harm 
done, so never mind.” 

When they were in Heidi’s room the doctor placed 
his light on the table, took Heidi in his arms, laid her 
in her bed and covered her up carefully. He sat down 
in a chair by the bed and waited until she was some- 
what calmer and did not tremble in every limb. Then 
he took Heidi’s hand and said soothingly: — 

“ There, now everything is all right ; now tell me 
where you wanted to go.” 

“ I did n’t want to go anywhere,” asserted Heidi ; 
“ I did not go down there myself ; I was only there all 
at once.” 

“ Indeed ! and did you dream anything in the night, 
do you know, so that you saw and heard something 
very clearly?” 

“Yes, every night I dream, and always the same 
thing. I think I am with my grandfather, and I hear 
the fir trees roaring outdoors, and I think, 4 Now the 
stars are sparkling so brightly in the sky,’ and I run 
swiftly and open the door of the hut, and it is so beau- 
tiful there ! But when I wake up I am always in Frank- 
furt still.” Heidi began to struggle and to swallow 
down the lump that rose in her throat. 

“ Hm ! and do you ever have any pain anywhere ? 
In your head or in your back ? ” 

“ Oh, no ; only something presses here all the time, 
like a great stone.” 

“ Hm ! somewhat as if you had eaten something 


THE SESEMANN HOUSE IS HAUNTED. 169 

and then afterwards wished you could give it back 
again ? ” 

“ No, not like that ; but so heavy, as if I must cry 
hard.” 

“ Indeed ! and then do you cry right out loud ? ” 

“ Oh, no, I don’t dare to do that ; Fraulein Rotten- 
meier has forbidden that.” 

“ Then you swallow it down till another time, don’t 
you? Really! Well, you like to stay in Frankfurt, 
do you not ? ” 

“Oh, yes,” she replied faintly; but it sounded as if 
she meant the opposite. 

“ Hm ! and where did you live with your grand- 
father ? ” 

“ Always on the Aim.” 

“ It is not particularly pleasant there, but rather 
dreary, is it not ? ” 

“ Oh, no ; it is so lovely there, so lovely ! ” 

Heidi could say no more ; the recollection of it all, 
the excitement she had just passed through, and the 
long-restrained weeping overpowered the child ; the 
tears rushed from her eyes in streams, and she broke 
into loud, passionate sobbing. 

The doctor rose ; he laid Heidi’s head gently on the 
pillow and said : — 

“ There, now cry a little — it can do no harm — and 
then go to sleep, and be happy in your sleep ; to- 
morrow everything will be all right.” 

Then he went downstairs. 

When he was once more in the room where they had 


170 


HEIDI. 


been watching, he drew the easy-chair opposite his 
waiting friend and explained to him, as he listened with 
eager expectation : — 

“Sesemann, in the first place, your little protegee 
walks in her sleep ; all unconsciously she has opened 
the door every night like a ghost and put all your ser- 
vants into a fever of fright. In the second place, the 
child is wasting away from homesickness, so that she 
is almost reduced to a little skeleton and will soon be 
entirely so ; something must be done for her at once ! 
For the first evil and for the nervous excitement exist- 
ing in a high degree there is but one remedy, namely, 
to send the child immediately back to her native moun- 
tain air ; for the second there is but one medicine, and 
that the very same thing. So send the child home 
to-morrow; that is my prescription.” 

Herr Sesemann rose from his chair. He walked up 
and down the room in the greatest excitement ; then 
he exclaimed : — 

“ A sleep-walker ! Sick ! Homesick ! wasted away 
in my house ! All this in my house ! And no one 
noticed it or knew anything about it ! And do you 
think, doctor, that I will send the child, who came 
fresh and healthy into my house, back to her grand- 
father miserable and wasted away? No, doctor, you 
cannot expect that ; I can’t do that ; that I will never 
do. Take the child in hand, put her under treatment, 
do what you like, but make her sound and healthy, and 
then I will send her home if she wants to go ; but first 
give her your aid ! ” 


THE SESEMANN HOUSE IS HAUNTED. 


171 


“Sesemann,” replied the doctor earnestly, “think 
what you are doing ! Her condition is no illness that 
can be cured with powders and pills. The child has no 
delicate constitution ; if you send her back now to the 
bracing mountain air, to which she is accustomed, she 
will be perfectly well again ; if not — you would not 
like to send her back beyond all help to her grand- 
father, or never send her back at all, would you ? ” 
Herr Sesemann stood still in astonishment : — 

“ Well, if this is your advice, doctor, there is only one 
way ; it must be followed immediately.” 

With these words Herr Sesemann took his friend’s 
arm and walked about with him to talk the matter over 
still further. Then the doctor started to go home, for 
much time had passed during their conversation, and 
the bright morning light was coming through the house 
door, which was opened this time by the master of the 
house. 


CHAPTER XIII. 


UP THE ALM ON A SUMMER EVENING. 

Herr Sesemann climbed the stairs in the greatest 
agitation and went with a firm step to Dame Rotten- 
meier’s sleeping room. Here he rapped so unusually 
loud on the door that the good lady woke from sleep 
with a cry of terror. She heard Herr Sesemann’s 
voice outside : — 

“ Pray hasten to come into the dining-room ; prepa- 
rations must be immediately made for a journey.” 

Fraulein Rottenmeier looked at her clock; it was 
half-past four in the morning ; she had never risen at 
such an hour in her life before. What could have hap- 
pened ? Curiosity and anxious expectation made every- 
thing she touched go wrong, and she made slow 
progress in dressing, for she kept hunting about 
uneasily in her room for the things she had already 
put on. 

Meanwhile Herr Sesemann went the entire length of 
the hall and furiously rang every one of the bells used 
to summon the different servants, so that in each 
respective room a terrified form jumped out of bed and 
hurried to dress, for one and all thought the same thing, 
that the ghost had seized the master of the house, and 
this was his call for help. 


72 


UP THE ALM ON A SUMMER EVENING. 


173 


So they came down one after another, each looking 
more terrified than the last, and stood in surprise before 
the master of the house, for he was walking up and 
down the room, looking fresh and cheerful, and not at 
all as if a ghost had frightened him. 

Johann was immediately despatched to put the 
horses and carriage in order, to be brought round later 
on. Tinette was ordered to waken Heidi at once, and 
to make her ready to take a journey. Sebastian was 
ordered to hasten to the house where Heidi’s aunt was 
at service and to bring her back. Fraulein Rotten- 
meier had meanwhile succeeded in getting dressed, and 
everything was all right except her headdress, which 
was on crooked, so that from a distance she looked as 
if her face was on backwards. Herr Sesemann ascribed 
her perplexing appearance to the fact that she had been 
awakened so early, and proceeded at once to business. 
He explained to the lady that she was to procure a 
trunk without delay, and to pack up all the things be- 
longing to the Swiss child — Herr Sesemann usually 
spoke of Heidi in this way, as her name was somewhat 
unfamiliar to him — and also a good part of Klara’s 
clothes, that the child might have everything that was 
necessary to take with her ; but all must be done 
quickly and without stopping to deliberate. 

Fraulein Rottenmeier stood as if rooted to the floor 
and stared at Herr Sesemann in amazement. She had 
expected that he was going to tell her in confidence 
some horrible story of his ghostly experience the night 
before, and she would not have been displeased to hear 


174 


HEIDI. 


it now in the clear morning light ; instead of that came 
these very prosaic and particularly inconvenient com- 
mands. She could not at once overcome her surprise. 
She still stood speechless, expecting something further. 

But Herr Sesemann had no intention of making fur- 
ther explanations ; he let the lady stand where she was 
and went to his daughters room. As he supposed, the 
unusual stir in the house had awakened her, and she 
was listening to everything and wondering what was 
going on. 

Her father sat down by her bed and told her what 
the ghost really was, and that in the doctor’s opinion 
Heidi was in a very bad condition, and that her nightly 
wanderings would become more extensive, and perhaps 
she might climb up to the roof, and that would be very 
dangerous. So he had decided to send the child home 
at once, for he could not be responsible for her ; and 
Klara must be reconciled, for she could see that it 
could not be otherwise. 

Klara was very painfully surprised by this news, and 
at first wanted to find some way out of the difficulty, 
but it was of no use; her father remained firm in his 
decision ; but he promised to take Klara the following 
year to Switzerland, if she would be reasonable now 
and not grieve. So Klara yielded to what could not be 
helped ; she asked that Heidi’s trunk should be brought 
into her room and packed there, so that she might put 
in some things Heidi would enjoy ; and this her papa 
willingly granted ; indeed, he even encouraged Klara 
to give the child a fine outfit. 


UP THE ALM ON A SUMMER E VENING. 


175 


Meanwhile Aunt Dete arrived and stood with great 
expectation in the vestibule; for to be summoned at 
this unusual time must mean something extraordinary. 
Herr Sesemann went out to her and told her how it 
was with Heidi, and that he wished she would take the 
child home at once, that very day. The aunt looked 
very much disappointed. She had not expected such 
news. She still remembered very distinctly the part- 
ing words the uncle had spoken to her : never to come 
before his eyes again ; and having taken the child to 
him, and then brought her away, it did not seem advis- 
able to take her back again. So she did not consider 
the matter long, but said, with great earnestness, that 
unfortunately it would be quite impossible for her to 
take the journey that day, and the next day she could 
think of it still less, and the day after that it would be 
utterly impossible on account of the work to be done 
then, and after that she would be no better able to go. 

Herr Sesemann understood the aunt’s excuses and 
dismissed her without saying anything further. He 
then summoned Sebastian and told him that he was to 
prepare immediately to take a journey ; he was to go 
that very day with the child as far as Basle, and the 
next day to take her home. Then he could at once 
return ; he would have no statement to make, for a 
letter to the grandfather would explain everything to 
him. 

“ There is one thing more of great importance, 
Sebastian,” said Herr Sesemann in conclusion, “and I 
want you to look out for it carefully. I am acquainted 


176 


HEIDI. 


at the hotel in Basle, the name of which I have written 
down here on my card for you. Show my card there 
and a good room will be given you for the child ; you 
must provide for yourself. Go first into the child’s 
room and fasten all the windows so securely that they 
can be opened only with great force. When the child 
is in bed go and fasten the door outside, for the child 
wanders around in the night and might run into danger 
in a strange house if she went out and tried to open the 
house door ; do you understand ? ” 

“Aha! That was it, was it? That was it!” ex- 
claimed Sebastian in the greatest surprise, for a great 
light had just been thrown on the ghosts. 

“ Yes, that was it ! That was it ! and you are a cow- 
ard, and you can tell Johann that he is another, and all 
of you together a ridiculous set of men.” 

Having said this, Herr Sesemann went to his room 
and sat down to write a letter to the Aim-Uncle. 

Sebastian stood confounded in the middle of the 
room and repeated over and over again to himself : — 
“If only I hadn’t let that coward of a Johann pull 
me back into the room, but had gone after the little 
white figure, as I undoubtedly should have done ! ” for 
now the bright sunshine distinctly lighted up every 
corner of the sombre room. 

Meanwhile Heidi, entirely unsuspicious of what was 
going to happen, stood waiting in her Sunday frock, 
for Tinette had merely roused her from sleep, taken 
her clothes out of the closet and put them on hurriedly 
without saying a word. She never talked with the 


UP THE ALM ON A SUMMER EVENING. 177 

uncultivated Heidi, for she considered her beneath her 
notice. 

Herr Sesemann walked with his letter into the 
dining-room, where the breakfast was already served, 
and asked : — 

“Where is the child ? ” 

Heidi was called. When she approached Herr Sese- 
mann to say “ good-morning ” to him, he looked into 
her face inquiringly : — 

“ Well, what do you say to it, little one ? ” 

Heidi looked up at him in amazement. 

“You don’t know anything about it even now,” said 
Herr Sesemann, laughing. “ Well, you are going home 
to-day, right away.” 

“Home?” repeated Heidi, unable to speak aloud, 
and turned white as snow. For a little while she could 
hardly get her breath, her heart was so violently affected 
by the impression. 

“ Don’t you want to know something about it ? ” 
asked Herr Sesemann, laughing. 

“ Oh, yes, I do,” she now was able to gasp ; and she 
turned deep red. 

“ Good, good ! ” said Herr Sesemann, encouragingly, 
while he seated himself and motioned to Heidi to do 
the same. “ And now eat a hearty breakfast and then 
into the carriage and away.” 

But Heidi could not swallow a mouthful, although 
through obedience she tried to force herself to eat; 
she was in such a state of excitement that she did not 
know whether she was awake or dreaming, or whether 


178 


HEIDI. 


she would not suddenly awaken and be standing at the 
door in her nightgown. 

“ Sebastian must take plenty of luncheon,” said 
Herr Sesemann to Fraulein Rottenmeier, who was just 
entering the room ; “ the child cannot eat, of course 
not. Go in to Klara until the carriage comes,” he 
added kindly, turning to Heidi. 

This was what Heidi wished, and she ran out of the 
room. In the middle of Klara’s room stood a huge 
trunk, with the cover still wide open. 

“ Come, Heidi, come ! ” Klara called out to her ; “see 
what I have had packed for you ! come, do you like it ? ” 

And she showed her a quantity of things, dresses 
and aprons, underwear and sewing materials ; “ and see 
here, Heidi,” and Klara held up a basket triumphantly. 
Heidi peeped in and jumped high in her delight, for 
inside lay twelve lovely, round white rolls, all for the 
grandmother. The children in their glee entirely for- 
got that the moment had come for them to part, and 
when suddenly the call was heard — “ The carriage is 
ready!” — there was no time left to be sad. 

Heidi ran to her room ; her beautiful book from the 
grandmamma must still be there ; no one could have 
packed it ; it lay under her pillow, for Heidi could not 
be parted from it day or night. That was laid in the 
basket on the bread. Then she opened her closet to 
see if there was anything left that had not been packed. 
To be sure — the old red neckerchief still lay there, for 
Fraulein Rottenmeier had not thought it worth packing. 
Heidi wrapped it around something else and laid it 


UP THE ALM ON A SUMMER EVENING. 


179 


on top of the basket, so that the red parcel was very 
conspicuous. Then she put on her fine hat and left 
her room. 

The two children had to say a speedy farewell, for 
Herr Sesemann was already there to take Heidi down 
to the carriage. Fraulein Rottenmeier stood at the 
head of the stairs to bid Heidi good-bye. When she 
noticed the strange red bundle, she took it quickly out 
of the basket and threw it on the floor. 

“ No, Adelheid,” she said, still finding fault, “ you 
cannot leave this house so ; you do not need to carry 
off such a thing as that. Now good-bye.” 

After this Heidi did not dare to pick up her bundle 
again, but she looked beseechingly at the master of the 
house, as if she were having her greatest treasure taken 
from her. 

“ No, no,” said Herr Sesemann in a very decided 
voice, “ the child shall carry home whatever gives her 
pleasure, and if she takes away kittens or turtles we 
will not get excited about it, Fraulein Rottenmeier.” 

Heidi quickly picked up her bundle from the floor, 
and her eyes beamed with gratitude and pleasure. 

When Heidi reached the carriage Herr Sesemann 
held out his hand to the child and said to her with 
friendly words that she must think of him and his 
daughter Klara. He wished her a happy journey, and 
Heidi thanked him very prettily for all the kindness 
he had shown her and finally said : — 

“ And I leave a thousand good-byes for the doctor, 
and thank him many times,” for she had noticed how 


180 


HEIDI. 


he had said to her the night before : “ And to-morrow 
everything will be all right.” Now it had all come 
true, and Heidi thought he was the cause of it. 

Then the child was lifted into the carriage, and the 
basket and the lunch box and Sebastian followed. 
Herr Sesemann called out once more in a friendly 
voice : “ A pleasant journey ! ” and the carriage rolled 

away. 

Soon after, Heidi was sitting in the train and hold- 
ing her basket firmly in her lap, for she would not let it 
out of her hands for a moment ; the precious rolls for 
the grandmother were inside, and she had to watch 
them carefully and delight her eyes with a look at 
them every now and then. Heidi sat as still as a 
mouse for several hours, for now she began to realize 
that she was on the way home to her grandfather on 
the Aim, to the grandmother, and Peter, the goatherd ; 
one thing after another came before her eyes — all 
that she was going to see again, and she imagined how 
everything would look at home, and new thoughts kept 
arising in her mind ; suddenly she said anxiously : — 

“ Sebastian, are you sure that the grandmother on 
the Aim is not dead ? ” 

“No, no,” said he soothingly; “we hope she’s not 
dead. She must be still alive.” 

Then Heidi became absorbed again in her own 
thoughts ; only now and then she peeped into her 
basket, for her greatest desire was to lay all the rolls 
on the grandmother’s table. After some time she 
said again: — 


UP THE ALM ON A SUMMER EVENING . 


181 


“ Sebastian, if we could only be perfectly sure that 
the grandmother is still alive.” 

“Yes, indeed! Yes, indeed!” replied her com- 
panion, half asleep ; “ she ’s still alive ; I don’t see 
any reason why not.” 

After a while Heidi’s eyes also closed ; after the dis- 
turbance of the previous night and the early start she 
was so heavy with sleep that she did not awaken until 
Sebastian shook her by the arm and called out to her : 

“ Wake up ! Wake up ! We must get out now, we 
are in Basle ! ” 

On the following morning they journeyed for several 
hours more. Heidi again sat with the basket in her 
lap, for on no account would she give it up to Sebas- 
tian ; but to-day she did not speak, for with each hour 
her eagerness became more intense. Then suddenly, 
when Heidi was not thinking about it, came the loud 
call — “ Mayenfeld ! ” She jumped up from her seat, 
and Sebastian did the same, for he too had been sur- 
prised. Now they stood outside with the trunk, and 
the train was whistling farther on up the valley. Se- 
bastian looked longingly after it, for he much preferred 
traveling on in that safe and easy way to undertaking 
a journey on foot, which had to end in climbing a 
mountain, and might be hard and dangerous besides, 
in this country where everything was still half wild, as 
he supposed. He therefore looked carefully about 
him for some advice concerning the safest way to 
“Dorfli.” Not far from the railway station stood a 
little wagon, drawn by a lean horse ; into this a broad- 


182 


HEIDI ; 


shouldered man was loading several large bags, which 
had been brought by the train. Sebastian stepped up 
to him and questioned him about the way. 

“ All ways are safe her e,” was the curt reply. 

Then Sebastian asked him about the best way one 
could go without falling over the precipices, and also 
how a trunk could be taken to Dorfli. The man looked 
at the trunk and measured it with his eyes; then he 
stated that, if it was not too heavy, he would take it 
in his wagon, since he himself was going to Dorfli. 
So some words were exchanged and finally the two 
arranged that the man would take both the child and 
the trunk with him, and that the child could be 
sent from Dorfli up the Aim with some one that 
evening. 

“ I can go alone ; I know the way from Dorfli up the 
Aim,” said Heidi, for she had been listening attentively 
while they were making the bargain. A heavy load 
was taken from Sebastian’s mind when he found him- 
self so suddenly released from the prospect of climb- 
ing the mountain. He now secretly beckoned Heidi 
to one side and handed her a heavy roll and a letter to 
her grandfather, and explained to her that the roll was 
a present from Herr Sesemann, which must be put in 
the bottom of her basket, under the bread, and that 
she must take care of it, so that it should not be lost, 
or Herr Sesemann would be frightfully cross about it, 
and would never get over it all his life long ; the little 
mamselle must surely remember this. 

“ I will not lose it,” said Heidi assuringly, and placed 


UP THE ALM ON A SUMMER EVENING . 


183 


the roll and the letter in the bottom of the basket. 
The trunk was put into the wagon and then Sebastian 
lifted Heidi with her basket up to the high seat, held 
out his hand to bid her good-bye, and once more urged 
her, with all sorts of signs, to keep her eyes on the 
contents of her basket ; for the driver was near, and 
Sebastian was all the more cautious because he knew 
that he ought to go with the child himself to the end 
of her journey. The driver swung himself up on the 
seat beside Heidi, and the wagon rolled off toward the 
mountain, while Sebastian, glad to escape the dreaded 
mountain journey, sat down in the station to wait for 
the returning train. 

The man on the wagon was the baker of Dorfli, and 
he was carrying home his bags of meal. He had never 
seen Heidi, but like every one else in Dorfli he knew 
about the child that had been brought to the Aim- 
Uncle. Besides, he had known Heidi’s parents and at 
once surmised that she was the much-talked-of little 
girl. He wondered somewhat why the child was so 
soon coming home again, and during the journey began 
to talk with Heidi — 

. “ You are the child who was up with the Aim-Uncle, 
your grandfather, aren’t you ? ” 

“ Yes.” 

“ Did you fare badly that you have already come 
home from so far ? ” 

“ No, I did not ; no one can fare better than I did in 
Frankfurt.” 

“ Why are you running home then ? ” 


184 


HEIDI. 


“ Only because Herr Sesemann allowed me, or I 
should not be coming home.” 

“ Bah ! why did n’t you prefer to stay there, if you 
were only allowed to come home ? ” 

“ Because I would a thousand times rather be at 
home with my grandfather on the Aim than do any- 
thing else in the world.” 

“ Perhaps you ’ll think differently when you get up 
there,” growled the baker; “but I wonder,” he said to 
himself, “ if she can know how it is.” 

Then he began to whistle and said nothing more, 
and Heidi looked around her and began to tremble 
inwardly from excitement, for she recognized the trees 
by the way, and over yonder stood the lofty peaks of 
the Falkniss mountain looking down at her, as if they 
were greeting her like good old friends. And Heidi 
greeted them in return, and with every step forward 
Heidi’s expectation grew more eager, and she felt as if 
she would have to jump down from the wagon and run 
with all her might until she was up there. However, 
she remained still and did not move, but trembled all 
over. As they came into Dorfli the clock was just 
striking five. In a moment a crowd of women and 
children gathered around the wagon, and two neighbors 
came out to it, for the child and trunk on the baker’s 
cart had attracted the attention of all the inhabitants, 
and each one wanted to know where they had come 
from and where they were going. 

When the baker had lifted Heidi down, she said 
quickly : — 


UP THE ALM ON A SUMMER EVENING. 


185 


“ Thank you, my grandfather will come for my 
trunk ” ; and she would have run away, but she was held 
fast on every side, and there was a tumult of voices, 
each asking something different. Heidi pressed 
through the crowd with such anxiety on her face 
that they unwillingly made room for her and let her 
pass, and one said to another: “You see how fright- 
ened she is; she has every reason to be.” 

Then they began to tell one another how the Alm- 
Uncle for a year past had been worse than ever, and 
would not speak a word to any one, and when any one 
came in his way he made up a face, as if he would like 
to kill him ; and if the child knew anything in the 
world about it, she would not run to the old dragon’s 
nest. But here the baker interrupted their remarks by 
saying he knew more about it than all the rest, and 
then told them, with an air of mystery, how a gentle- 
man had brought the child as far as Mayenfeld, parted 
from her in a very friendly way, and had at once, with- 
out any bargaining, paid the fare he asked, besides add- 
ing a fee ; and, more than all, he could say surely that 
the child had been well off where she was, and that she 
was anxious to come back to her grandfather. This 
news caused great surprise and was immediately spread 
through all Dorfli, so that there was not a house that 
evening where it was not repeated that Heidi had been 
anxious to come back from a life of luxury to her 
grandfather. 

Heidi ran up the mountain from Dorfli as fast as she 
could ; but now and then she would suddenly stand 


186 


HEIDL 


still, for she quite lost her breath ; the basket on her 
arm was heavy for her, and besides it grew steeper and 
steeper the higher she went. Heidi had only one 
thought : — 

“ Will the grandmother still be sitting in the corner at 
her spinning wheel ; has she not died in all this time ? ” 

Now Heidi saw the hut up in the hollow on the 
Aim, and her heart began to throb ; she ran still 
faster ; her heart kept beating louder and louder. — 
Now she was up there — she could hardly open the 
door, she trembled so — but now ! — She ran into the 
middle of the little room and stood there, completely 
out of breath and unable to speak. 

“ Oh, Heavens!” sounded from the corner, “ our 
Heidi used to run in like that ! Ah, if only I could 
have her with me once more while I live ! Who has 
come in ? ” 

“ Here I am, grandmother ; here I am, really ! ” 
exclaimed Heidi. 

Rushing into the corner and getting on her knees 
into the old dame’s lap, she seized her arm and her 
hands and snuggled up to her, and was unable to say 
anything more from delight. At first the grandmother 
was so overcome that she could not speak a word ; 
then she began to stroke Heidi’s curly hair with her 
hand and kept saying again and again : — 

“Yes, yes, it is her hair ; and it is her voice ; ah, dear 
Lord, that thou shouldest have permitted me this ! ” 

And two great tears of joy dropped from her blind 
eyes on Heidi’s hand. 


UP THE ALM ON A SUMMER EVENING. 


187 


“ Are you here, Heidi ? are you really here ? ” 

“Yes, yes, really, grandmother,” said Heidi with all 
assurance ; “ but do not cry ; I am very surely here 
again and will come to you every day and never go 



away again ; and you won’t have to eat hard bread for 
many days, for see, grandmother, do you see ? ” 

And Heidi now took one roll after another out of her 
basket, until she had piled up all twelve in the grand- 
mother’s lap. 

“ Oh, child ! Oh, child ! what a blessing you have 
brought me ! ” exclaimed the grandmother, when the 
rolls did not come to an end, but one kept following 
another. “ But the greatest blessing is you yourself, 
child ! ” Then she seized hold of Heidi’s curly hair 
and stroked her hot cheeks and said again : — 


188 


HEIDI. 


“ Say just a word more, child ; say something more, 
so that I can hear you.” 

Heidi then told the grandmother how she had suf- 
fered, fearing she might perhaps die while she was 
away and not have the white rolls, and she would 
never, never be able to go to her. 

Then Peter’s mother came in, and for a moment 
stood still in astonishment. Then she exclaimed : — 
“ Surely, it is Heidi ! how can it be possible ! ” 

Heidi rose and shook hands with her, and Brigitte 
could not wonder enough at Heidi’s appearance, and 
she walked around the child, saying : — 

“ Grandmother, if you only could see what a beauti- 
ful dress the child has on and how she looks ; I hardly 
know her. And does the little hat trimmed with 
feathers, on the table, belong to you also ? Just put it 
on, so I can see how you look in it.” 

“ No, I will not,” said Heidi decidedly ; “ you can 
have it ; I don’t need it any longer, I still have my 
own.” 

Whereupon Heidi opened her little red bundle and 
took out her old hat, which had become still more bent 
during the journey than it was before. But that 
troubled Heidi little; she had never forgotten how, 
when she was leaving her grandfather, he had called 
after her that he never wanted to see her in a hat 
trimmed with feathers, and that was why Heidi had 
kept her hat so carefully, for she always thought of 
the time when she should go home to her grandfather. 
But Brigitte said she must not be so foolish ; it was 


UP THE ALM ON A SUMMER EVENING. 


189 


a splendid hat, and she might sell it to the teacher’s 
little daughter in Dorfli, and get a good deal of money 
for it, if she did not care to wear it. But Heidi was 
firm in her decision and laid the hat gently in the cor- 
ner behind the grandmother, where it was entirely 
hidden. Then Heidi took off her lovely dress, and 
she folded the red neckerchief over her underwaist, in 
which she now stood with bare arms, and then seized 
the grandmother’s hand, saying : — 

“Now I must go home to my grandfather, but to- 
morrow I will come to you again ; good-night, grand- 
mother.” 

“ Yes, come again, Heidi ; come again to-morrow 
morning,” said the grandmother; and she pressed 
Heidi’s hand between her own and could hardly let 
her go. 

“ Why have you taken off your beautiful dress ? ” 
asked Brigitte. 

“ Because I would rather go to my grandfather with- 
out it, or he might not know me ; you hardly knew me 
in it.” 

Brigitte went out of the door with Heidi, and said a 
few words secretly to her : — 

“ You can keep on the dress, he will know you ; but 
you must take care of yourself, for Peterli says the 
Aim-Uncle is always very cross now and never says a 
word.” 

Heidi said “good-night” and went on up the moun- 
tain with her basket on her arm. The evening sun 
shone all around on the green Aim, and now the snow 


190 


HEIDI ; 


field on Casaplana came into sight and gleamed in the 
distance. 

Every few steps Heidi had to stand still and look 
around, for the high mountains were behind her as she 
climbed. Now a red glow fell over the grass at her 
feet ; she turned around ; there — she had forgotten 
the splendor, and never had seen it in her dreams like 
this — the rocky peaks on Falkniss flamed up to the 
sky, the broad snow field was all aglow, and rosy clouds 
were drifting high above. The grass all around on the 
Aim was golden ; from all the crags it glimmered and 
gleamed down, and below, the far-reaching valley swam 
in a golden vapor. 

Heidi stood in the midst of all this glory, and bright 
tears of joy and rapture ran down her cheeks, and she 
had to fold her hands, and, looking up to Heaven, thank 
the dear Lord aloud for bringing her back home again, 
and that everything, everything was still so beautiful, 
and even more beautiful than she had thought, and that 
it all was hers once more. And Heidi felt so happy 
and so rich in the great glory that she could not find 
words to express her thankfulness to the dear Lord. 

Not until the light all about began to fade could 
Heidi move away from the place. But then she ran so 
fast up the mountain that it was not long before she 
saw the boughs of the fir trees above the roof, and then 
the roof itself, and then the whole hut, and on the 
seat beside it sat her grandfather, smoking his pipe, 
and over the hut the old fir trees were rocking their 
branches and roaring in the evening wind. Then Heidi 


UP THE ALM ON A SUMMER EVENING. 


191 


ran all the faster, and before the Aim-Uncle could really 
see what was coming the child rushed up to him, threw 
her basket on the ground, and hugged the old man. 
In her excitement at seeing him again she was unable 
to say anything, except to keep exclaiming : “ Grand- 
father! grandfather! grandfather!” 

Neither did the grandfather say anything. For the 
first time in many years his eyes grew moist, and he 
had to pass his hand over them. Then he loosened 
Heidi’s arms from his neck, took her on his knee, and 
looked at her for a moment. 

“ So you have come home again, Heidi,” he said 
then; “how is it? You don’t look particularly fine. 
Did they send you away ? ” 

“ Oh, no, grandfather,” Heidi now began fervently to 
say ; “ you must not think that ; they were all so good — 
Klara and the grandmamma and Herr Sesemann. But 
you see, grandfather, I could hardly bear to wait any 
longer to come home again to you, and I often thought 
I should stifle, it choked me so ; but I really never said 
anything about it, because it would be ungrateful. 
And then suddenly one morning Herr Sesemann called 
me very early ; but I believe the doctor was the cause 
of it; but perhaps it tells all about it in the letter” — 
whereupon Heidi jumped down on the ground, took her 
letter and her roll out of the basket and laid them both 
in her grandfather’s hand. 

“ That belongs to you,” he said, laying the roll beside 
him on the seat. Then he took the letter and read it 
through ; without saying a word he put it in his pocket. 


192 


HEIDI. 


“ Do you think you can drink milk with me still, 
Heidi ? ” he then asked, while he took the child by the 
hand to lead her into the hut. “ But take your money 
with you ; you can buy a bed with it, and clothes enough 
to last you for two or three years.” 

“ I really don’t need it, grandfather,” asserted Heidi ; 
“ I have a bed already ; and Klara packed up so many 
clothes for me that I shall really never need any more.” 

“ Take it, take it, and put it in the cupboard ; you 
will be able to use it sometime.” 

Heidi obeyed and skipped after her grandfather into 
the hut, where, delighted to see everything again, she 
ran into every corner and up the ladder; but there 
she suddenly stood still and called down somewhat con- 
cerned : — 

“ Oh, grandfather, I no longer have any bed ! ” 

“You will soon have another,” sounded from below. 
“I didn’t know that you would return ; now come and 
get your milk ! ” 

Heidi came down and took her seat on her high stool 
in the old place, and then grasped her little bowl and 
drank as eagerly as if she had never had anything so 
precious within her reach before, and when she put 
down her bowl, with a deep breath, she said : — 

“There is nothing in „all the world so good as our 
milk, grandfather.” 

A shrill whistle sounded outside. Heidi shot out of 
the door like lightning. There was the whole flock of 
goats, skipping, jumping, and leaping down from the 
heights above, and Peter in their midst. When he saw 


UP THE ALM ON A SUMMER EVENING. 


193 


Heidi he stood perfectly still, as if rooted to the spot, 
and stared at her speechless. Heidi called out : “ Good- 
evening, Peter ! ” and rushed in among the goats. 
“ Schwanli ! Barli ! Do you know me still ? ” 

The goats must have recognized her voice, for they 
rubbed their heads against her and began to bleat pas- 
sionately for joy, and Heidi called them all by name, 
one after the other, and they all ran like wild creatures 
in confusion and crowded around her. The impatient 
Distelfinck jumped high into the air and over two other 
goats, in order to get near her at once, and the timid 
Schneehopli gave the big Turk a very determined thrust 
and pushed him aside, so that he stood looking much 
amazed at the impudence, and raised his beard in the 
air to show that it was he. 

Heidi was beside herself with joy to see all her old 
companions once more ; she threw her arms around the 
little affectionate Schneehopli again and again, stroked 
the violent Distelfinck, and was pushed and jolted hither 
and thither by the fond, trusting goats until she came 
quite near to Peter, who remained standing in the same 
place. 

“ Come down, Peter, and say good-evening to me ! ” 
Heidi called to him. 

u Are you back again ? ” he finally made out to say 
in his astonishment ; and then he came forward and 
took Heidi’s hand, which she had been offering him 
for some time, and asked, as he always did when he was 
returning home at evening : — 

“ Will you come with me again to-morrow ? ” 


194 


HEIDI. 


“No, not to-morrow, but the day after, perhaps; for 
to-morrow I must go to the grandmothers.” 

“ It is good to have you back again,” said Peter, 
making all sorts of wry faces from huge delight ; then 
he started homeward ; but he had never before had 
such difficulty with his goats, for when he had at last, 
with coaxing and threatening, succeeded in collecting 
them about him, and Heidi had walked away with one 
arm around Schwanli’s and the other about Barli’s neck, 
they all with one accord turned around again and ran 
after the three. Heidi had to go into the shed with 
her two goats and shut the door, or Peter would never 
have succeeded in getting away with his flock. 

When the child came back into the hut she found 
her bed already made up again, wonderfully high and 
fragrant, for the hay had not been in long, and the 
grandfather had very carefully spread the clean linen 
sheet over it. Heidi lay down on it with great delight 
and had a refreshing sleep, such as she had not enjoyed 
for a whole long year. During the night her grandfather 
left his couch at least ten times, climbed the ladder and 
listened carefully to see if Heidi was still asleep and 
was not restless, and looked at the window where the 
moon used to shine in on Heidi’s bed, to see if the hay 
he had stuffed into it was still there, for the moon 
should be kept out henceforth. But Heidi slept right 
on and wandered about no longer, for her great, hungry 
longing was satisfied ; she had seen all the mountains 
and cliffs in the evening glow again, she had heard the 
fir trees roaring, she was at home again on the Aim. • 


CHAPTER XIV. 


SUNDAY WHEN THE CHURCH BELLS RING. 

Heidi stood under the swaying branches of the fir 
trees, waiting for her grandfather, who was going to 
fetch the trunk from Dorfli, while she stayed with 
the grandmother. The child could hardly wait to 
see the grandmother again and to hear how the rolls 
had tasted ; yet the time did not seem long to her, for 
she could not listen enough to the tones of her native 
sighing fir trees above her, and drink in all the fra- 
grance and brightness of the green pastures and their 
golden blossoms. 

The grandfather came out of the hut, took a look 
around him, and then said in a satisfied tone : — 

“ Well, now we can go.” 

It was Saturday night, and on that day it was the 
Aim-Uncle’s custom to clean and put everything in order 
in the hut, in the shed, and all about; and to-day he had 
taken the morning for this, in order to go out with 
Heidi in the afternoon, and so everything all around 
looked neat and to his satisfaction. At Peter’s hut 
they parted and Heidi ran in. The grandmother had 
already heard her step, and called out to her affection- 
ately : — 

“ Have you come, child ? Have you come again ? ” 
i95 


196 


HEIDI. 


Then she grasped Heidi’s hand and held it very 
tightly, for she still feared that the child might be taken 
away from her again. And now the grandmother had 
to tell how the rolls had tasted, and she said she had 
been so refreshed by them that she thought she was 
much stronger that day than she had been for a long 
time, and Peter’s mother added that the grandmother 
was much worried lest the rolls should soon be gone, 
and she had eaten only one roll the day before and 
that day together, and she really could not gain much 
strength ; they would last only a week if she should eat 
one a day. Heidi listened attentively to Brigitte and 
remained for some time thinking. Then she found a 
way out of the difficulty. 

“ I know now what I will do, grandmother,” she said 
with eager delight. 

“ I will write a letter to Klara, and she will surely 
send me as many more rolls and twice as many as there 
are, for I had a great pile just like them in my closet, 
and when they were taken away from me Klara said she 
would give me just as many more, and she will do so.” 

“ Dear me ! ” said Brigitte, “ that is a good idea ; but 
think, they would grow hard, too. If we only had a 
spare penny now and then ; the baker down in Dorfli 
makes them, but I am hardly able to pay for the black 
bread.” ^ 

Then a bright, joyful light spread over Heidi’s face. 

“ Oh, I have a tremendous lot of money, grand- 
mother ! ” she exclaimed triumphantly, and danced up 
and down with delight ; “ now I know what I can do 


SUNDA Y WHEN THE CHURCH BELLS RING. 197 


with it. Every single day you must have a new roll, and 
two on Sunday, and Peter can bring them up from Dorfli.” 

“No, no, child!” said the grandmother in disap- 
proval, “that cannot be ; the money was not given you 
for that ; you must give it to your grandfather, and he 
will tell you what you are to do with it.” 

But Heidi would not be disturbed in her delight ; she 
shouted and danced around the room and exclaimed 
again and again : — 

“ Now the grandmother can eat a roll every day and 
will grow quite strong again, and — oh, grandmother ! ” 
she cried with new delight, “if you should grow so 
well, it would really become light to you again ; it is 
perhaps only because you are so weak.” 

The grandmother was silent ; she did not wish to dis- 
turb the child’s pleasure. In her dancing around, Heidi 
suddenly spied the grandmother’s old hymn book, and 
a new and delightful thought came to her. 

“ Grandmother, I can read quite well now ; shall I 
read a song out of your old book ? ” 

“ Oh, yes ! ” said the grandmother, overcome with 
delight ; “ can you really do that, can you do that ? ” 

Heidi climbed up in a chair and took down the book, 
covered thick with dust, for it had long lain there un- 
disturbed. She then wiped it clean, sat down with it 
on her stool beside the grandmother, and asked what 
she should read. 

“ Whatever you like, child, whatever you like ” ; and 
the grandmother sat with eager expectancy, and pushed 
the spinning wheel a little way from her. 


198 


HEIDI. 


Heidi turned the leaves and read a line here and 
there. 

“ Here is something about the sun ; I will read you 
that, grandmother”; and Heidi began, and became more 
and more eager and interested as she read : — 

“ The sun o' erfiowing 
With splendor glowing. 

From golden fountains 
Pours o'er our mountains 
A spirit-quickening glory of light. 

Below I wandered 

And , , mournful, pondered. 

But now arising 

With change surprising 

I turn to the sky ?ny enraptured sight. 

Mine eye beholdeth 
What God unfoldeth 
To tell the story 
Of boundless glory — 

How vast the sum of his infinite might! 

Behind those portals 
Henceforth immortals, 

Our friends arisen 
From fleshly prison 

Have entered the reahns of boundless delight. 

While all things falter, 

God doth not alter : 

No shade of turning 
In his discerning : — 

His word and will are eternal right / 


SUNDAY WHEN THE CHURCH BELLS RING. 199 


His grace unbounded 
In love is founded ; 

The humblest creature 
May share His nature — 

The lowest depth and the highest height. 

To-day we languish 
In grief and a?iguish, 

But earthly sorrow 
Shall fade to-morrow : — 

After the stor?n the sun shines bright. 

Sweet peace and pleasure 

In boundless measure 

We know is given 

In the gardens of heaven j 

A nd thither my hopes yearn day and night ! ” 

The grandmother sat still with folded hands and an 
expression of indescribable joy on her face, such as 
Heidi had never seen there before, although the tears 
were running down her cheeks. When Heidi stopped 
reading she said entreatingly : — 

“ Oh, just once more, Heidi, let me hear it just once 
more : — 

‘ To-day we languish 
In grief and angtiish." 1 ” 

And the child began again and read with eager 
delight : — 

“ To-day we languish 
In grief and anguish , 

But earthly sorrow 
Shall fade to-morrow : — 

After the storm the sun shines bright. 


200 


HEIDI. 


Sweet peace and pleasure 
In boundless measure 
We know is given 
In the gardens of heaven; 

A nd thither my hopes yearn day and night / ” 

“ Oh, Heidi, that gives me light ! it gives me light 
in my heart. Oh, how much good you have done me, 
Heidi!” 

The grandmother repeated the joyful words again 
and again; and Heidi beamed with pleasure, and had 
to keep looking at the grandmother, for she had never 
seen her so before. She no longer had the old expres- 
sion on her face, but appeared so happy and thankful, 
as if she already looked with new bright eyes into the 
beautiful heavenly garden. 

Then some one knocked on the window, and Heidi 
saw her grandfather outside, beckoning to her to go 
home with him. She followed quickly, but not with- 
out assuring the grandmother that she would come 
again the next day, and that even if she went up to the 
pasture with Peter she would only stay there half the 
day, for to be able to make it light again for the grand- 
mother was to her the very greatest pleasure she could 
enjoy, even much greater than to be in the sunny pas- 
ture among the flowers and goats. 

Brigitte ran out at the door after Heidi with her dress 
and hat, that she might take them with her. She took 
the dress on her arm, for her grandfather knew her 
now, she thought ; but the hat she obstinately refused. 
Brigitte must keep it for her, for she would never, never 


SUNDAY WHEN THE CHURCH BELLS RING. 201 

put it on her head again. Heidi was so full of her 
experiences that she had to tell her grandfather at once 
all that had delighted her heart : that they could get 
white bread for the grandmother down in Dorfli if they 
only had the money, and that it had suddenly become 
so light to the grandmother, and she looked so well ; 
and when Heidi had described it all to the end she went 
back to the beginning and said very confidently : — 

“ Surely, grandfather, if the grandmother is not 
willing, you will give me all my money, so that I can 
give Peter a piece for a roll every day and two on 
Sunday ? ” 

“ But the bed, Heidi ? ” said the grandfather ; “ a real 
bed would be a good thing for you, and then there 
would be enough left for many rolls.” 

But Heidi gave her grandfather no peace, and assured 
him that she slept much better on her bed of hay than 
she had ever done in her pillowed bed in Frankfurt, 
and begged so urgently and incessantly that her grand- 
father finally said : — 

“ The money is yours, do whatever pleases you ; you 
can get bread for the grandmother with it for many a 
long year.” 

Heidi shouted for joy : — 

“ Oh, hurrah ! now the grandmother will never have 
to eat hard black bread any more, and oh, grandfather, 
now everything is lovelier than it ever was before in 
our lives ! ” 

Heidi took hold of her grandfathers hand and 
jumped into the air and shouted as merrily as the 


202 


HEIDI. 


birds in the sky. But all of a sudden she grew quite 
serious and said : — 

“ Oh, if the dear Lord had done right away what I 
prayed for so hard, then everything would not be as it 
is now. I should only have come home again and 
brought the grandmother just a few rolls, and shouldn’t 
have been able to read to her, which does her good ; 
but the dear Lord had already thought it all out so 
much better than I knew; the grandmamma told me 
so, and now it has all come true. Oh, how glad I am 
that the dear Lord did not grant what I asked and 
longed for! Now I will always pray as the grand- 
mamma told me, and always thank the dear Lord, and 
if he does not do what I ask, then I will surely think all 
the same, it will just be as it was in Frankfurt ; the dear 
Lord is planning something much better. But we will 
pray every day, won’t we, grandfather? And we will 
never forget Him, so that the dear Lord may never 
forget us.” 

“ And if one should do so ? ” murmured the grand- 
father. 

“ Oh, it would not be well for him, for then the dear 
Lord would forget him, too, and let him go away, and if 
he should get into trouble and complain, nobody would 
pity him, but everybody would say : ‘He first ran away 
from the dear Lord ; now the dear Lord, who might 
have helped him, lets him go.’ ” 

“ That is true, Heidi ; how did you know it ? ” 

“From the grandmamma; she told me all about 
it,” 


SUNDAY WHEN THE CHURCH BELLS RLNG. 203 


The grandfather was silent for a while. Then he 
said to himself, following his own thoughts : — 

“ And if it is so, then it is so ; no one can go back, 
and whomever God has forgotten, He has forgotten.” 

“ Oh, no, grandfather ; one can go back ; that I know, 
too, from the grandmamma ; and then it says so in the 
beautiful story in my book ; but you don’t know about 
that ; we are almost home, and you shall see how beau- 
tiful the story is.” 

Heidi, in her eagerness to get home, hurried faster 
and faster the last part of the way, and they had scarcely 
reached the top when she let go her grandfather’s hand 
and ran into the hut. Her grandfather had put half of 
the things from the trunk into a basket, for the entire 
trunk was too heavy for him to carry. He now took 
the basket from his back and then sat down on the 
bench and became absorbed in thought. Heidi came 
running out again, with her big book under her arm. 

“ Oh, this is good, grandfather, that you are already 
sitting down here ” ; and with one bound Heidi was by 
his side and had found her story, for she had read it so 
often over and over again, that the book opened of 
itself at the place. Heidi then read with great feeling 
about the Prodigal Son. 

“Isn’t that a beautiful story, grandfather?” asked 
Heidi, when he sat in silence and she had expected him 
to be delighted and surprised. 

“Yes, Heidi, the story is beautiful,” said her grand- 
father; but his face was so serious that Heidi became 
quite still and looked at her pictures. She quietly 


204 


HEIDI. 


pushed her book in front of her grandfather and said : 
“ See, how happy he is,” and pointed with her finger 
to the picture of his return home, where he stands in 
fresh garments beside his father, and once more belongs 
to him as his son. 

A few hours later, when Heidi had long been wrapt 
in deep sleep, her grandfather climbed the little ladder ; 
he put his lamp beside Heidi’s bed so that the light fell 
on the sleeping child. She lay there with folded hands, 
for Heidi had not forgotten to pray. On her rosy face 
was an expression of peace and blessed trust that must 
have appealed to her grandfather, for he stood there a 
long, long time without moving or taking his eyes from 
the sleeping child. Then he, too, folded his hands and 
half aloud, with bowed head, said : — 

“ Father, I have sinned against Heaven and before 
Thee and am no more worthy to be called Thy son ! ” 
and great tears rolled down his cheeks. 

In the early daylight the Aim-Uncle stood in front 
of his hut, looking around with beaming eyes. The 
Sunday morning glistened and shone over mountain 
and valley. The sound of early bells came up from 
below, and the birds in the fir trees were beginning 
their morning songs. 

The grandfather stepped back into the hut. 

“ Come, Heidi ! ” he called from below. “ The sun 
is up ! Put on a good dress, and we will go to church 
together ! ” 

It did not take Heidi long ; this was an entirely new 
call from her grandfather, and she felt that she must 


SUNDAY WHEN THE CHURCH BELLS RLNG. 205 


follow quickly. In a short time she came running 
down in her fine Frankfurt dress, but she remained 
standing in front of her grandfather and looked at 
him in great surprise. 

“ Oh, grandfather, I have never seen you look so 
before ! ” she exclaimed at last, “ and you have never 



worn the coat with the silver buttons. Oh, you are so 
splendid in your beautiful Sunday coat ! ” 

The old man looked at the child with a contented 
smile and said : — 

“ And you in yours ; now come ! ” 

He took Heidi’s hand in his, and thus they went 
together down the mountain. 

The clear-toned bells were now sounding in every 


206 


HEIDI . 


direction, and fuller and richer as they came nearer, 
and Heidi listened with delight and said : — 

“ Do you hear them, grandfather ? it is like a great, 
great festival.” 

Down in Dorfli the people were already in the church 
and just beginning to sing when the grandfather and 
Heidi entered and seated themselves far back in the 
last seat. But in the midst of the singing the person 
sitting next them nudged his neighbor with his elbow 
and said : — 

“ Have you noticed ? The Aim-Uncle is in church ! ” 

And the person nudged touched the next one and so 
on, and in a short time it was whispered in every corner : 
“ The Aim-Uncle ! The Aim-Uncle! ” and almost all 
the women had to turn their heads for a moment, and 
most of them lagged in the singing, so that the leader 
had the greatest difficulty in keeping the time. 

But when the pastor began to preach they became 
attentive, for there was such warm praise and thanks- 
giving in his words that all the listeners were affected 
by it, and it was as if a great joy had happened to them 
all. When the service was over, the Aim-Uncle went 
out with the child by the hand and walked to the par- 
sonage. All those who went out with him, and those 
who were standing outside, gazed after him, and most 
followed to see whether he really went into the parson- 
age ; he did so. Then they gathered in groups and 
discussed in great excitement this unheard-of thing that 
the Aim-Uncle had been in church, and they all looked 
eagerly toward the parsonage to see how he would 


SUNDAY WHEN THE CHURCH BELLS RING. 207 


come out, whether in scorn and strife or in peace with 
the pastor, for they had no idea what had brought the 
old man down and what it really meant. But there 
was already a change of feeling experienced by many of 
them, and one said to another : — 

“ It may be that the Aim-Uncle is not so bad as 
they say ; you can see how carefully he held the little 
one by the hand” ; and another one said : “ That is what 
I have always said ; and he would not go to the pastor’s 
house if he were so thoroughly bad, for he would be 
afraid ; people exaggerate a great many things.” And 
the baker said : — 

“ Didn’t I tell you that the first of all? Do you sup- 
pose a little child that has all it wants to eat and drink, 
and everything else good besides, would run away from 
it all and go home to a grandfather if he was wicked 
and wild, and she was afraid of him ? ” 

And a very friendly feeling for the Aim-Uncle arose 
and increased ; the women also drew near. They had 
heard from Peter the goatherd and the grandmother 
so many things that represented the Aim-Uncle as quite 
different from the popular opinion, and now all at once 
it seemed as if they were waiting to welcome an old 
friend who had long been absent. 

Meanwhile the Aim-Uncle had gone to the study 
door and knocked. The pastor opened it and met the 
visitor, not with surprise, as he might have done, but as 
if he were expecting him. His unusual appearance in 
the church could not have escaped him. He grasped 
the old man’s hand and shook it heartily, and the Aim- 


208 


HEIDI. 


Uncle stood in silence, and at first could not say a 
word, for he was not prepared for such a warm greet- 
ing. Then he collected himself and said : — 

“ I have come to ask the pastor to forget the words 
I said to him on the Aim, and that he will not bear me 
ill will for being obstinate toward his well-meant advice. 
The pastor was right in all that he said, and I was 
wrong ; but I will now follow his advice, and next win- 
ter take up quarters in Dorfli, for the severe weather 
up yonder is not good for the child ; she is too delicate. 
And even if the people down here look at me askance, 
as one who is not to be trusted, I deserve nothing 
better, and certainly the pastor will not do so.” 

The pastor’s friendly eyes beamed with delight. He 
took the old man’s hand once more and pressed it in 
his, and said with emotion : — 

“ Neighbor, you went to the right church before you 
came down to mine ; this delights me ! You shall not 
regret your willingness to come down and live among 
us again ; you will always be welcome in my house as a 
dear friend and neighbor, and I expect to spend many 
a pleasant hour of a winter evening with you, for I find 
your company agreeable and profitable, and we shall 
find good friends also for the little girl.” 

And the pastor laid his hand very kindly on Heidi’s 
curly head, and took her by the hand and led her out, 
as he accompanied the grandfather, and when they 
were outside the door he bade them farewell. 

All the people standing round could see how the 
pastor shook hands with the Aim-Uncle, as if he were 


SUNDA V WHEN THE CHURCH BELLS RING. 209 


his best friend and he could hardly bear to part with 
him. Scarcely had the door closed behind the pastor, 
when the whole assembly pressed toward the Aim- 
Uncle, and each was eager to be the first, and so many 
hands were held out together to him that he did not 
know which he ought to grasp first. 

One said to him : — 

“ I am glad ! I am glad, uncle, that you are coming 
back to us again ! ” And another said : “I have long 
wanted to speak with you again, uncle ! ” Similar 
remarks were heard on every side, and when the uncle 
replied to all their friendly greetings that he intended 
to take up his quarters in Dorfli again and spend the 
winter with his old acquaintances, there was great 
rejoicing, and it seemed exactly as if the Aim-Uncle 
were the best-beloved person in all Dorfli, whom they 
had had great difficulty to get along without. Most of 
them accompanied the grandfather and the child far up 
the Aim, and when they left them each one wished 
the Aim-Uncle to promise to call on him when he came 
down again. And when the people turned to go down 
the mountain the old man stood for a long time gazing 
after them, and a warm light was spread over his face, 
as if the sun shone out from within him. Heidi looked 
steadily at him and said with delight : — 

“ Grandfather, you never looked so handsome before 
as you have to-day ! ” 

“Do you think so?” said her grandfather, smiling. 
“ Well, you see, Heidi, I feel happy because I am on 
good terms with people and at peace with God and 


210 


HEIDI. 


man ; that does one good ! The dear Lord was good- to 
me when he sent you up on the Aim.” 

When they reached Peter the goatherd’s hut the 
grandfather straightway opened the door and went in. 

“ Good-day, grandmother,” he called out ; “ I think 
we must do a little more mending, before the autumn 
wind comes.” 

“ Dear me, that is the uncle ! ” exclaimed the grand- 
mother, full of surprise and delight. “ That I should 
live to see this ! I can thank you for all you have done 
for us, uncle ! May God reward you for it ! May God 
reward you for it ! ” 

Trembling with delight, the old grandmother held 
out her hand, and when the uncle shook it heartily she 
continued, still holding him fast : — 

“ I have one thing more at heart to ask of you, 
uncle : if I have ever done you any harm, do not punish 
me by letting Heidi go away again before I lie at rest 
in the churchyard. Oh, you do not know what the 
child is to me ! ” and she hugged Heidi fast, for she 
had already drawn close to the grandmother’s side. 

“ Never fear, grandmother,” said the uncle soothingly, 
“ that I should punish either you or myself in that way. 
We shall all stay together, and, God willing, for a long 
time.” 

Then Brigitte drew the uncle somewhat mysteriously 
into a corner and showed him the lovely hat trimmed 
with feathers, and told him how the matter stood, and 
that she naturally did not like to take such a thing from 
a child. 


SUNDAY WHEN THE CHURCH BELLS RING. 211 


But the grandfather looked well pleased at Heidi and 
said : — 

“ The hat is hers, and if she does n’t care to wear it 
any more it is all right, and if she gave it to you, why, 
take it.” 

Brigitte was highly delighted at this unexpected 
decision. 

“ It is really worth more than ten francs ; only see ! ” 
and in her delight she held the hat high in the air. 
“ What a blessing this Heidi has brought home with 
her from Frankfurt ! I have often thought whether I 
would not send Peterli to Frankfurt for a little while ; 
what do you think about it, uncle ? ” 

The uncle’s eyes twinkled merrily. He thought it 
could not do Peterli any harm, but he would wait for a 
good opportunity. 

Just then the person in question came in at the door, 
after he had first run against it and hit his head so 
hard that it made everything rattle ; he must have 
been in haste. Panting and out of breath, he now 
stood in the middle of the room, holding out a letter. 
This was something that had never happened before — 
a letter addressed to Heidi, which had been given to 
him at the post-office in Dorfli. They all sat down, full 
of expectation, around the table, and Heidi opened her 
letter and read it aloud without stumbling. The letter 
was from Klara Sesemann. She told Heidi that since 
she went away it had been so dreary in her house that 
she could no longer bear it, and she had begged her 
father so often that he had at last consented to take 


212 


HEIDI. 


the journey to Bad Ragaz the coming autumn ; and the 
grandmamma would come with them, for she, too, would 
like to visit Heidi and her grandfather on the Aim. 
Moreover, the grandmamma sent word to Heidi that 
she had done right in wishing to buy the old grand- 
mother some rolls, and in order that she might not have 
to eat them dry she had sent some coffee, which was 
already on the way, and if she should come to the Aim, 
Heidi must take her to see the grandmother. 

Then there was such joy and wondering at this news, 
and so much to tell and ask about, for the great expec- 
tation concerned all alike, that even the grandfather had 
not noticed how late it was already getting ; and they 
were all so happily content at the prospect of the days 
to come, and almost even more in the joy of being 
together at the present time, that the grandmother 
finally said : — 

“ The best of all is for an old friend to come and give 
us his hand again, as he used to do long ago ; it gives 
one such a comforting feeling in the heart, to find 
everything that is dear to us once more. You will 
come again soon, uncle, and the child to-morrow ? ” 

This was promised to the grandmother at once ; now 
it was time to go, and the grandfather started up the 
Aim with Heidi ; and as the clear bells from near and 
far in the morning had called them down, so now the 
peaceful sound of the evening bells rising from the 
valley accompanied them to the sunny Aim hut, which 
shone in the Sunday evening light. 


Part II. 


HEIDI MAKES USE OF WHAT SHE HAS 
LEARNED. 





CHAPTER I. 


PREPARATIONS FOR A JOURNEY. 

The kind doctor, who had decided that the child 
Heidi must be taken back to her mountain home, was 
just passing along the broad street toward the Sese- 
mann house. It was a sunny September morning, so 
bright and lovely that it might be supposed that every 
one must delight in it. But the doctor was gazing at 
the white stones at his feet, and did not notice the blue 
sky above him. In his face there was a sadness which 
had never appeared there before, and his hair had grown 
much grayer since the spring. 

The doctor’s only daughter, after his wife’s death, had 
been very near to him and the joy of his life. Some 
months before, the blooming maiden had been taken 
away from him by death. Since then the doctor had 
never seemed so jovial as before. 

In answer to the bell Sebastian opened the door with 
great civility, and, when he saw who it was, gave every 
sign of being a most devoted servant ; for not only was 
the doctor the best friend of his master and his little 
daughter, but by his kindness, here as everywhere, he 
had also won the good will of the entire household. 

“ Is everything as usual, Sebastian ? ” asked the 
doctor in his customary friendly voice, and went up 

215 


216 


HEIDI ; 


the stairs followed by Sebastian, who kept on making 
all sorts of signs of devotion, although the doctor could 
not see them. 

“ I am glad you have come, doctor,” Herr Sesemann 
called out. “ We must once more seriously consider 
the journey to Switzerland ; I must hear from you 
whether you still abide by your decision even now that 
Klara seems to be better.” 

“ My dear Sesemann, what is the matter with you ? ” 
replied the doctor, taking a seat beside his friend. “ I 
really wish your mother was here ; with her everything 
would be plain and simple. But there ’s no bringing 
you to reason. This is the third time you have sent 
for me to-day, although I keep telling you the same 
thing.” 

“Yes, you are right; the matter must make you 
impatient, but I want you to understand, my dear friend,” 
and Herr Sesemann laid his hand entreatingly on the 
doctor’s shoulder, “ that it will be far too hard for me 
to deny the child what I promised her so faithfully, and 
what has made her so happy day and night for the past 
months. Besides, the child has borne all these last bad 
days so patiently, always hoping that the Swiss journey 
was near at hand, and that she would be able to visit 
her friend Heidi in the Alps ; and now, after the child 
has had so much to bear, shall I with one blow crush the 
long-cherished hope ? It is almost impossible for me 
to do so.” 

“ Sesemann, it must be,” said the doctor very decid- 
edly ; and as his friend was silent and sat looking very 


PREPARATIONS FOR A JOURNEY. 


217 


downcast, he went on after a time to say : “Think 
how the matter stands. Klara has not for years had 
so bad a summer as this last has been; there is no 
question about it ; she could not take such a long 
journey without danger of the worst consequences. It 
is now September ; it may still be fine up on the Alps, 
but it must be already very cool there. The days are 
now growing short, and as Klara could not stay over- 
night on the mountain she would have hardly two 
hours there. The journey from Ragatz would take 
several hours, for she would most decidedly have 
to be carried up the mountain in a chair. In short, 
Sesemann, it cannot be ! But I will go in with you and 
talk with Klara about it ; she is a sensible girl, and I 
will tell her my plan. Next May she shall first go to 
Ragatz ; there she shall take the baths for a long time, 
until it is warm and pleasant up on the mountains. 
Then she can be taken up there from time to time, 
and when she is refreshed and strengthened she will 
enjoy these mountain excursions far more than she 
would now. You understand also, Sesemann, that if 
we wish to cherish a slight hope for your child’s recov- 
ery, we must use the greatest care and the most cautious 
treatment.” 

Herr Sesemann, who had listened silently and with 
an expression of sad submission, now sprang to his feet. 

“Doctor, tell me honestly,” he exclaimed; “have 
you really any hope for an improvement in her condi- 
tion ? ” 

The doctor shrugged his shoulders. 


218 


HEIDI. 


“ Little,” he said in a low voice. “ But come, think 
for a moment of me, friend ! Have you not a dear 
child who longs for you when you are away, and is 
delighted when you come home ? You never have to 
return to a desolate house and sit down to a solitary 
table, and your child is well off at home. Although 
she has to be deprived of much that others might 
enjoy, still she is, in some respects, more highly favored 
than a great many. No, Sesemann, you are not so much 
to be pitied ; you are fortunate to be together ; think 
of my lonely house ! ” 

Herr Sesemann began to stride up and down the 
room, as he was in the habit of doing whenever he was 
deeply absorbed in any matter. Suddenly he stood still 
in front of his friend and clapped him on the shoulders. 

“ Doctor, I have an idea ; I cannot see you like this ; 
you are no longer the same. You must get out of 
yourself a little ; and do you know how ? You shall 
undertake the journey and visit the child Heidi in our 
place.” 

The doctor was very much surprised at this proposal 
and would have objected to it, but Herr Sesemann gave 
him no time. He was so delighted and filled with his 
new idea, that he seized his friend by the arm and led 
him to his daughter’s room. The doctor was always a 
delightful sight -to sick Klara, for he treated her with 
great friendliness, and every time he came he had 
something lively and entertaining to tell her. She 
knew well why he could do so no longer, and she 
wished she could make him happy again. 


PREPARATIONS FOR A JOURNEY. 


219 


She held out her hand to him ; and he sat down 
beside her. Herr Sesemann also moved up his chair, 
and, taking Klara’s hand, began to talk about the jour- 
ney to Switzerland, and how much pleasure he himself 
had taken in looking forward to it. He glided quickly 
over the most important fact, that it was now out of 
the question, for he was somewhat afraid of the tears 



that would be sure to come. He then passed on to 
the new plan and impressed Klara with the fact that 
her dear friend would derive great benefit by taking 
this journey. 

The tears indeed came and swam in Klara’s blue 
eyes, although she tried her best to keep them back, 
for she knew how her papa disliked to see her cry. 
But it was hard to have it ended when all summer the 
prospect of this visit to Heidi had been her only joy 


220 


HEIDI. 


and comfort during the long, lonely hours which she 
had endured. Klara was not in the habit of arguing, 
and she knew very well that her papa was denying her 
only what would lead to ill, and therefore ought not to 
be. She choked down her sobs and took refuge in the 
only hope remaining. She seized her good friend’s 
hand, stroked it, and said entreatingly : — 

“ Oh, please, doctor, you will go to Heidi, won’t you ? 
and then come and tell me about everything up there, 
and what Heidi is doing, and her grandfather and Peter 
and the goats; I know them all so well. And then 
you must take what I want to send to Heidi ; I have 
thought it all out ; and something for the grandmother, 
too. Please, doctor, do go ; and while you are gone I 
will truly take all the cod-liver oil you prescribe.” 

Whether this promise decided the matter or not we 
do not know, but suppose it must be so, for the doctor 
smiled and said : — 

“Then I must certainly go, Klarchen, for you will 
grow round and strong as papa and I would like to 
have you. When must I start ? Have you decided 
that, too ? ” 

“Certainly; to-morrow early, doctor,” replied Klara. 

“Yes, she is right,” said her father; “the sun is 
shining, the sky is blue, and no time is to be lost, for it 
is a shame not to be enjoying such a day in the Alps.” 

The doctor had to laugh. 

“ Next thing you will be reproaching me for not 
being there already, Sesemann, so I shall do well to get 
away.” 


PREPARATIONS FOR A JOURNEY. 


221 


But Klara held the doctor fast ; she had first to give 
him all sorts of messages for Heidi and to remind him 
of so many things which he must notice and then tell 
her about. The things she wished to send to Heidi 
would be taken to him later, for Fraulein Rottenmeier 
would have to help pack them ; she had just gone on 
one of her walks about the city, and was not likely to 
return very soon. 

The doctor promised to carry out all her directions, 
to start on the journey as soon as possible, and to give 
her a faithful account of everything he should see and do. 

Servants often have a wonderful faculty of finding 
out, long before they have been told, what is going on 
in their master’s house. Sebastian and Tinette must 
have possessed this faculty in a high degree, for just as 
the doctor, followed by Sebastian, was going down the 
stairs Tinette entered Klara’s room. 

“ Bring me this box full of perfectly fresh, nice cakes, 
such as we have with our coffee, Tinette,” said Klara, 
pointing to a box which had been standing ready for 
some time. Tinette seized it by one corner and swung 
it disdainfully in her hand; after she had closed the 
door she said pertly : — 

“ It ’s well worth while.” 

When Sebastian had opened the front door with his 
usual politeness, he said with a bow : — 

“ If the doctor would be so kind as to give the little 
Mamsell Sebastian’s regards.” 

“Oh, Sebastian,” said the doctor pleasantly, “do 
you know so soon that I am going away ? ” 


222 


HEIDI. 


Sebastian was obliged to cough. 

“I am — I have — I don’t know certainly — oh, yes, 
I remember, as I happened to be passing through the 
dining-room just now I heard the little Mamsell’s name 
mentioned; it often happens that we put one thought 
and another together, and so — and in that way” — 

“Yes, indeed! yes, indeed!” said the doctor, laugh- 
ing, “and the more thoughts one has, the more one 
knows. Good-bye, Sebastian, I will deliver your mes- 
sage.” 

The doctor was just about to pass through the open 
door when he met a hindrance ; the strong wind had 
prevented Fraulein Rottenmeier from continuing her 
walk ; she had returned and was just entering the door. 
The wind puffed out the big shawl in which she had 
wrapped herself ; she looked exactly as if she was under 
full sail. The doctor started back instantly. Fraulein 
Rottenmeier had always shown a strange deference and 
politeness toward this man. She, too, started back with 
marked affability, and for a time they both stood there, 
bowing and making room for each other. Then came 
such a strong gust of wind that Fraulein Rottenmeier 
was suddenly blown with full sail against the doctor. 
He was still able to turn aside, but the lady was driven 
a good piece beyond him, so that she had to turn 
around again in order to speak with propriety to the 
friend of the house. The absurd occurrence had put 
her somewhat out of sorts, but the doctor had a way 
which soon smoothed her ruffled temper and put her 
into good humor. He told her about his intended 


PREPARATIONS &0R A JOURNEY. 223 

journey and begged her, in the most taking way, to 
pack the things for Heidi, as only she knew how to 
pack them. Then he took his departure. 

Klara expected to have a struggle with Fraulein 
Rottenmeier before she would give her consent to send 
away all the things that Klara had intended for Heidi. 
But this time she was happily disappointed ; Fraulein 
Rottenmeier was unusually good-natured. She imme- 
diately removed everything on the large table, in order 
to spread out on it all the articles that Klara had put 
together, and to pack them before her eyes. This was 
no easy task, the things to be done up together being 
of such different shapes. First came the thick cloak 
with the hood, which Klara meant for Heidi, that she 
might be able to visit the grandmother the coming 
winter whenever she liked, and not have to wait for 
her grandfather and be wrapped in the sack to keep 
from freezing. Next came a thick, warm shawl for the 
old grandmother, to wrap around her when the cold 
wind shook the hut. Then came the big box of cakes, 
also intended for the grandmother, that she might have 
something different from rolls to eat with her coffee. 
A huge sausage followed ; Klara had first intended this 
for Peter, because he never had anything but bread and 
cheese. But she changed her mind, fearing lest Peter 
in his delight should eat the whole sausage at once. So 
his mother Brigitte was to have it and first take a good 
share of it for herself and for the grandmother, and 
then give Peter his portion at different times. Then 
there was a little bag of tobacco ; this was for the 


224 


HEIDI. 


grandfather, who liked so well to smoke his pipe when 
he sat in front of the hut in the evening. Last came a 
number of mysterious little bags, packages, and boxes, 
which Klara had taken special delight in collecting, 
for Heidi was to find in them all sorts of surprises 
which would give her great pleasure. At last the work 
was finished, and an imposing package lay on the floor 
ready for the journey. Fraulein Rottenmeier, looking 
down on it, became absorbed in thoughtful contempla- 
tion of the art of packing. Klara, for her part, cast 
looks of glad anticipation toward it, for she saw Heidi 
before her as she would jump and shout with surprise 
when the huge bundle reached her. 

Sebastian then came in, and swung the bundle up on 
his shoulder, in order to take it at once to the doctor’s 
house. 


CHAPTER II. 


A GUEST ON THE ALM. 

The mountains were glowing in the early dawn, and 
a fresh morning wind was blowing through the fir trees 
and rocking their old branches vigorously to and fro. 
Heidi opened her eyes ; the sound had awakened her. 
This rushing sound always moved Heidi to the very 
depths of her soul and attracted her strongly to go out 
under the fir trees. She jumped from her bed and 
could hardly wait to dress herself properly ; but it had 
to be done, for Heidi knew very well that one should 
always be clean and tidy. 

She then came down the ladder ; her grandfather’s 
couch was already empty. She ran outdoors ; there in 
front of the hut stood her grandfather, gazing up at the 
sky and all about, as he did every morning to see what 
the day was going to be. 

Rosy clouds floated above, and the sky grew bluer 
and bluer, and the heights and the pasture land seemed 
flooded with bright gold, for the sun was just rising 
above the lofty cliffs. 

“ Oh, how beautiful ! Oh, how beautiful ! Good- 
morning, grandfather,” Heidi called out as she came 
skipping along. 

225 


226 


HEIDI. 


“Well, are your eyes already opened?” said the 
grandfather in reply, offering his hand to Heidi to 
give her a morning greeting. 

Then Heidi ran under the fir trees and danced with 
delight under the swaying boughs, as she heard the 
rushing and roaring above, and with every new gust of 
wind and loud blustering in the tree-tops she shouted 
for joy and jumped a little higher. 

Meanwhile the grandfather had gone to the shed 
and had milked Schwanli and Barli ; then he brushed 
and washed them for their journey up the mountain, and 
brought them outside. When Heidi saw her friends, 
she ran to them and threw her arms about the necks of 
both of them, greeting them affectionately, and they 
bleated gladly and trustfully. Each of the goats was 
anxious to give proof of affection, and pressed closer 
and closer to her shoulders, so that between them she 
was almost crushed. But Heidi was not afraid, and 
when the lively Barli butted and pushed too hard with 
her head Heidi said : — 

“ No, Barli, you push like the big Turk,” and immedi- 
ately Barli drew back her head and retreated to a proper 
distance, and then Schwanli stretched up her head and 
bleated in a superior way, so that it was plain to be 
seen that she thought to herself, “ No one shall say 
of me that I behave like Turk.” For the snow-white 
Schwanli was rather more dignified than Barli. 

Peter’s whistle from below was now heard, and soon 
all the lively goats came leaping up the mountain, the 
nimble Distelfinck bounding ahead of the others. Heidi 


A GUEST ON THE ALM. 


227 


was at once in the midst of the flock, which jostled 
her hither and thither with loud, stormy greetings ; she 
pushed them aside a little, for she wished to make her 
way to the timid Schneehopli, which was always pushed 
away by the larger goats, when struggling to reach 
Heidi. 

Peter now came along and gave one last, startling 
whistle to frighten the goats and drive them on to the 
pasture, for he wished to have room to say something 
to Heidi. The goats sprang ahead a little at this 
whistle, so Peter was able to come forward and stand 
in front of Heidi. 

“You can come with me again to-day,” he said, 
somewhat peevishly. 

“No, I cannot, Peter,” replied Heidi. “They may 
come from Frankfurt at any moment now, and I must 
be at home.” 

“You have said that a good many times already,” 
growled Peter. 

“ But it is still true, and it will be true until they 
come,” replied Heidi. “ Don’t you know that I must 
be at home, when they are coming from Frankfurt to 
see me ? Don’t you know that, Peter ? ” 

“They can come to the uncle,” answered Peter with 
a snarl. 

The grandfather’s deep voice then sounded from the 
hut : — 

« Why does n’t the army move forward ? Is it the 
fault of the field marshal or the troops ? ” 

In a twinkling Peter wheeled around, swung his rod 


228 


HEIDI. 


in the air, making it whistle, and all the goats, knowing 
the sound well, started off, and, with Peter behind 
them, ran at full speed up the mountain. 

Since Heidi had returned home to her grandfather, 
every now and then she would remember something 
which she had not thought of before. So every morning 
she tried hard to make her bed, smoothing it until it 
looked quite even. Then she ran about the hut, placing 
every chair in its place, and if anything was lying or 
hanging about, she put it tidily into the closet. Then 
she brought a cloth, climbed up on a stool, and rubbed 
the table until it was perfectly clean. When her grand- 
father came in again, he would look around him with 
satisfaction and say : — 

“ Now, it is always like Sunday here ; Heidi did not 
go away for nothing.” 

To-day also, after Peter had gone, and Heidi had 
breakfasted with her grandfather, she set about her 
work ; but it seemed as if she would never finish. It 
was such a lovely morning outdoors, and every moment 
something happened to interrupt her in her tasks. 
Now a sunbeam came in so gayly through the window, 
and it seemed exactly as if it said : “ Come out, Heidi, 
come out ! ” So she could no longer stay in the house, 
and she ran out. The sparkling sunshine lay all around 
the hut and glistened on the mountains and far, far 
down in the valley, and the ground there on the cliff 
looked so golden and dry that she had to sit down and 
look around her for a little while. Then suddenly she 
remembered that the three-legged stool was still stand- 


A GUEST ON THE ALM. 


229 


ing in the middle of the floor, and the table had not 
been cleared since breakfast. 

Then she jumped up quickly and ran back into the 
hut. But it was not long before it roared so mightily 
through the fir trees that Heidi felt it in every limb, 
and she had to go out again and dance a little with 
them, when all the branches above her were rocking 
and swaying to and fro. Her grandfather, meanwhile, 
had all sorts of work to do in the shop ; he came out 
to the door from time to time and looked smilingly at 
Heidi as she jumped about. He was just stepping 
back again when Heidi suddenly screamed at the top 
of her voice : — 

“ Grandfather, grandfather ! Come, come ! ” 

He hastened out again, almost afraid that something 
had happened to the child. Then he saw her running 
toward the cliff screaming : — 

“ They are coming, they are coming ! and the doctor 
first of all ! ” 

Heidi rushed to meet her old friend. He held out 
his hand to greet her. When the child reached him 
she grasped his outstretched arm affectionately and 
exclaimed with the greatest joy : — 

“ How do you do, doctor ? I thank you many thou- 
sand times ! ” 

“ Good-morning, Heidi ! But what are you thanking 
me for? ” asked the doctor with a pleasant smile. 

“Because I could come home again to my grand- 
father,” explained the child. 

The doctor’s face lighted up as with sunshine. He 


230 


HEIDI. 


had not expected such a reception in the Alps. In his 
sense of loneliness, all the while he was climbing the 
mountain, he had been wrapt in thought and had not 
once noticed how beautiful it was around him, and that 
it was growing more and more beautiful. He had sup- 
posed that the child Heidi would hardly remember 
him, he had seen so little of her ; and as he was coming 
to give them a disappointment he felt that he would be 
unwelcome because he had not brought the expected 
friends with him. 

Instead of this, Heidi’s eyes gleamed with pure joy, 
and, full of gratitude and love, she continued to cling to 
her good friend’s arm. 

The doctor took the child by the hand with fatherly 
tenderness. “ Come, Heidi,” he said in a most friendly 
way, “ now take me to your grandfather and show me 
where your home is.” 

But Heidi remained standing where she was and 
looked wonderingly down the mountain. 

“ But where are Klara and the grandmamma ? ” she 
then asked. 

“ Well, I shall have to tell you something that will 
pain you as well as myself,” replied the doctor. “ You 
see, Heidi, I have come alone. Klara has been very 
ill and was not able to take the journey, and so the 
grandmamma did not come either. But in the spring; 
when the days are warm and long again, then they will 
surely come.” 

Heidi was very much distressed ; she could hardly 
realize that what she had been looking forward to as so 


A GUEST ON THE ALM. 


231 


certain suddenly became impossible. She stood motion- 
less for a time, as if bewildered by the disappointment. 
The doctor stood silently in front of her, and every- 
thing around was still, except the wind blowing through 
the fir trees high above them. Then it suddenly oc- 
curred to Heidi why she had run down the mountain, 
and that the doctor was there. She looked up at him. 

There was something sad in the eyes looking down 
at her, such as she had never seen before ; he had never 
looked at her so in Frankfurt. It went to Heidi’s 
heart ; she could not bear to see any one look sad, and 
now least of all the good doctor. It certainly must be 
because Klara and the grandmamma could not come 
with him. She quickly sought some way to console 
him and found it. 

“ Oh, it really won’t be long before spring will be 
here again, and then they will surely come,” said Heidi 
comfortingly. “ With us it never is a great while ; and 
then they can stay much longer ; Klara will like that 
much better. Now we will go up to my grandfather.” 

Hand in hand with her good friend she climbed up 
to the hut. Heidi was so very anxious to make the 
doctor happy that she began to assure him again that 
on the Aim it was such a little while before the long 
summer days would come again, that it was hardly 
noticeable; and in this way she became comforted 
herself and called up to her grandfather quite cheer- 
fully : — 

“ They did not come, but it won’t be long before they 
will be here, too.” 


232 


HEIDI ; 


The doctor was no stranger to the grandfather, the 
child had told him so much about her friend. The old 
man held out his hand to his guest and gave him a 
hearty welcome. Then they both sat down on the 
bench beside the hut, made a little place for Heidi, and 
the doctor motioned to her kindly to sit beside him. 
Then he began to relate how Herr Sesemann had urged 
him to take the journey, and how he himself had felt 
that it would be good for him, since he had not been 
quite strong and well for some time. He then whis- 
pered in Heidi’s ear that something which had come 
from Frankfurt with him would soon come up the 
mountain, and that it would give her much greater 
pleasure than the old doctor could. Heidi was very 
eager to know what it might be. 

The grandfather urged the doctor to spend the beau- 
tiful autumn days on the Aim, or at least to come up 
every fine day, for he could not invite him to remain 
up there, because he had no way of making him com- 
fortable at night. But he advised his guest not to go 
back as far as Ragatz, but to take a room down in Dorfli, 
in a simple but well-kept inn which he would find 
there. In that way the doctor would be able to come 
up the Aim every morning, which the uncle thought 
would do him good. Moreover, he would be glad to 
take the gentleman farther up the mountain, whenever 
he liked. This plan very much pleased the doctor, 
and he decided to carry it out. 

Meanwhile the sun announced that it was midday ; 
the wind had long since ceased, and the fir trees were 


A GUEST ON THE ALM. 


233 


perfectly still. The air was yet mild and lovely for such 
a height, and felt refreshingly cool around the sunny 
bench. 

The Aim-Uncle rose and went into the hut, but 
immediately came out again, bringing a table, which 
he placed in front of the bench. 

“There, Heidi, now bring out what we need to eat,” 
he said. “ The gentleman will have to make the best 
of it, for if our cooking is plain our dining-room is all 
that could be desired.” 

“ I think so, too,” replied the doctor as he gazed 
down into the valley bathed in sunlight ; “ and I accept 
your invitation, for everything must taste good up 
here.” 

Heidi ran back and forth like a weasel and brought 
out everything she could find in the cupboard, for she 
found it an immense pleasure to be able to entertain 
the doctor. Meanwhile the grandfather prepared the 
meal and came out with the steaming jug of milk and 
the shining golden toasted cheese. Then he cut deli- 
cious, transparent slices of rosy meat, which he had 
dried up there in the pure air. The whole year through 
the doctor had not eaten a single meal which tasted so 
good as this dinner did. 

“ Yes, indeed, our Klara must come here,” he said ; 
“ she would gain new strength, and if she should have 
such an appetite as I have to-day, she would become 
plump and robust as she never has been in all her life.” 

Then some one came climbing up from below with a 
big package on his back. When he reached the hut, 


234 


HEIDI ; 


he threw his burden down on the ground and drew in 
long breaths of the fresh mountain air. 

“Ah, here is what came with me from Frankfurt,” 
said the doctor, rising ; and drawing Heidi after him, he 
went to the package and began to undo it. After the 
first heavy wrapping was removed, he said : — 

“ There, child, now open it yourself and take out 
your treasures.” 

Heidi did so, and when everything rolled out together 
her eyes grew big with astonishment as she gazed at 
the things. When the doctor stepped back again and 
lifted the cover of the big box, saying to Heidi, “ See 
what the grandmother has for her coffee,” then she 
screamed with delight : — 

“Oh! oh! Now at last the grandmother can have 
some nice cakes to eat ! ” 

She danced around the box, and was anxious to put 
everything together immediately, and hasten down to 
the grandmother’s. But her grandfather promised her 
that toward evening they would go down with the doc- 
tor and take the things with them. Then Heidi found 
the nice bag of tobacco and brought it quickly to her 
grandfather. It pleased him very much ; he immedi- 
ately filled his pipe with it, and the two men then sat 
on the bench, talking about all sorts of things, and puff- 
ing out great clouds of smoke, while Heidi ran back and 
forth from one of her treasures to another. 

Suddenly she came back to the bench, stood in front 
of her guest, and as soon as there was a pause in the 
conversation she said very decidedly : — 


A GUEST ON THE ALM. 


235 


“ No, nothing has given me any more pleasure than 
the old doctor has.” 

The two men had to laugh a little, and the doctor 
said he would n’t have thought it. 

When the sun went down behind the mountains 
the guest rose to take his way back to Dorfli and to 
find lodgings there. The grandfather put the box of 
cakes, the big sausage, and the shawl under his arm ; 
the doctor took Heidi by the hand, and they went down 
the mountain to goatherd Peter’s hut. Here Heidi 
had to leave them ; she was to wait inside with the 
grandmother until her grandfather should come for 
her, after accompanying his guest down to Dorfli. 

When the doctor, as he said good-night, offered his 
hand to Heidi, she asked : — 

“ Would you like to go up to the pasture with the 
goats to-morrow ? ” 

That was the loveliest spot she knew. 

“To be sure, Heidi,” he replied, “we will go to- 
gether.” 

Then the men continued their way, and Heidi went 
into the grandmother’s hut. First she dragged in the 
box of cakes with difficulty ; then she had to go out 
again to bring in the sausage, for her grandfather had 
laid everything down in front of the door ; then she 
had to go out once more to get the big shawl. She 
brought them all as close to the grandmother as possi- 
ble, so that she might touch them and know what they 
were. She laid the shawl in her lap. 

“They are all from Frankfurt, from Klara and her 


236 


HEIDI ; 


grandmamma!” she exclaimed. The amazed Brigitte 
was so affected by her surprise that she stood motion- 
less, watching Heidi as she, with the greatest difficulty, 
dragged in the heavy articles and spread out everything 
before her and the highly astonished grandmother. 

“ Surely, grandmother, you are terribly pleased with 
the cakes, aren’t you ? Just see how soft they are ! ” 
Heidi exclaimed again and again, and the grandmother 
replied assuringly : — 

“Yes, yes, indeed, Heidi; what good people they 
are ! ” Then she would stroke the soft, warm shawl 
with her hand and say : — 

“ But this is something splendid for the cold winter ! 
I never dreamed I should ever have anything so mag- 
nificent in my life.” 

Heidi was very much surprised that the grandmother 
should be more delighted with the gray shawl than 
with the cakes. Brigitte continued standing before the 
sausage as it lay on the table, and gazed at it almost 
with veneration. In all her life she had never seen 
such a giant sausage, and she was going to possess it, 
and even cut it ; she could not believe it possible. She 
shook her head and said timidly : — 

“We must first ask the uncle what it is meant for.” 

But Heidi said very decidedly : — 

“ It is meant to eat, and for nothing else.” 

Then Peter came stumbling in. 

“ The Aim-Uncle is coming just behind me; Heidi 
must” — He could go no further. His eyes fell on 
the table where the sausage lay, and the sight of it so 


A GUEST ON THE ALM. 


237 


overpowered him that he could not speak another word. 
But Heidi had already noticed who was coming, and 
hastened to give her hand to the grandmother. The 
Aim-Uncle never went by the hut now without step- 
ping in to speak to the grandmother, and she was 
always delighted to hear his step, for he was sure to 
have an encouraging word for her ; but to-day it was 
late for Heidi, who was out every morning with the 
sun. Her grandfather said, “The child must have 
her sleep,” and was firm. So he merely called out a 
good-night through the open door to the grandmother, 
took Heidi’s hand as she ran to meet him, and the two 
made their way beneath the twinkling stars back to 
their peaceful hut. 


CHAPTER III. 


CONSOLATION. 

Early the next morning the doctor climbed the 
mountain from Dorfli in company with Peter and his 
goats. In a friendly spirit he tried several times to 
enter into conversation with the goat boy, but he did 
not succeed in getting more than the briefest answers 
to his leading questions. Peter was not so easily led 
into conversation. So the whole company traveled in 
silence up to the Aim hut, where Heidi already stood 
waiting with her two goats, all three as lively and glad 
as the early sunshine on the heights. 

“ Coming too ? ” asked Peter, for he said this every 
morning either as a question or a summons. 

“To be sure, of course, if the doctor will come with 
us,” replied Heidi. 

Peter looked a little askance at the gentleman. 

Then the grandfather came out, bringing the dinner 
bag in his hand. He first greeted the doctor with great 
respect, then went to Peter and hung the bag over his 
shoulder. 

It was heavier than usual, for the uncle had put in a 
good piece of the dried meat ; he thought possibly the 
doctor might like it up in the pasture, and he would 
enjoy his dinner there at the same time with the chil- 
238 


CONSOLA TION. 


239 


dren. Peter’s mouth spread almost from one ear to 
the other with a grin of satisfaction, for he suspected 
that there was something unusual inside. 

The journey up the mountain was now begun. Heidi 
was completely surrounded by the goats; each one 
wanted to be next her, and they kept pushing one 
another to one side. So she remained for some time 
in the midst of the flock, struggling with them. Then 
she stood still and said : — 

“ Now please run away and don’t keep coming back 
and pushing and jostling me ; I must go with the doc- 
tor a little while now.” 

Then she patted Schneehopli gently on the back, 
for she still kept close to her side, and bade her 
especially to be very obedient. Then she made her 
way out of the flock and ran to the side of the doctor, 
who seized her hand at once and held it fast. He had 
no difficulty in getting Heidi to talk ; she immediately 
began and had so much to tell him about the goats and 
their remarkable doings, and about the flowers up there 
and the rocks and the birds, that before they knew it 
they had reached the pasture. 

As they climbed the mountain, Peter had frequently 
cast at the doctor sidelong glances, which might really 
have terrified him, but fortunately he did not see 
them. 

When they reached the end of their journey, Heidi 
took her kind friend to the loveliest spot of all, where 
she always went, sat down on the ground, and looked 
around ; this was her favorite place. 


240 


HEIDI. 


The doctor dropped down beside her on the sunny 
pasture ground. Round about the golden autumn sun 
shone over the peaks and the distant green valley. 
Everywhere from the mountains below came the sound 
of the goat bells, so lovely and delightful, as if announc- 
ing sweet peace far and wide. The golden sunbeams 
flashed sparkling and glistening here and there on the 
great snow fields above, and the gray Falkniss lifted its 
towers of rock in lofty majesty far up into the deep 
blue sky. The morning breeze blew gently and deli- 
ciously over the mountain and softly stirred the last 
bluebells, still remaining from the great multitude of 
the summer, and cheerfully nodding their little heads 
in the warm sunshine. The great robber-bird flew 
around in wide circles above, but to-day he did not 
scream ; with outspread wings he floated peacefully 
through the blue and took his ease. 

Heidi gazed first one way and then another. The 
gay nodding flowers, the blue sky, the merry sunshine, 
the contented bird in the air, all were so beautiful, so 
beautiful ! Heidi’s eyes sparkled with delight. She 
looked at her friend to see whether he, too, understood 
how beautiful it was. Until now the doctor had been 
looking around him silently and wrapt in thought. As 
he met the child’s beaming eyes he said : — 

“Yes, Heidi, it is beautiful here ; but what do you 
think? If you brought a sad heart, how could you 
make it well, so that you could enjoy all this beauty ? ” 
“ Oh, oh ! ” exclaimed Heidi quite gayly ; “nobody 
ever has a sad heart here, — only in Frankfurt.” 


CONSOLA TION. 


241 


A smile passed over the doctor’s face, but it quickly 
vanished. Then he added : — 

“And supposing some one should come and bring 
all his sorrow with him up here from Frankfurt, Heidi ; 
do you know of anything that could help him then ? ” 

“ He must tell everything to the dear Lord, if he 
does not know what to do,” said Heidi with perfect 
assurance. 

“Yes, that is really a good thought, child,” observed 
the doctor. “ But if what makes you so very sad and 
miserable comes from Him, what can you say to the 
dear Lord ? ” 

Heidi had to think what ought to be done in such a 
case ; but she was very certain that one could obtain 
help from the dear Lord for every sorrow. She sought 
a reply from her own experience. 

“Then you must wait,” she said after a while with 
assurance, “ and keep thinking : ‘ Surely now the dear 
Lord knows some joy which is to come out of this by 
and by, so I must be still for a little and not run away 
from Him.’ Then all at once it will happen so that you 
will see quite clearly that the dear Lord had nothing but 
good in His mind all the time ; but because you could 
not see it so at first, and only had the terrible sorrow 
all the time before you, you thought it would always 
remain so.” 

« That is a beautiful faith, and you must hold it fast, 
Heidi,” said the doctor. For some time he gazed 
silently at the mighty mountains of rock and down into 
the green sunlit valley ; then he continued : — • 


242 


HEIDI. 


“You see, Heidi, you might sit here with a great 
shade over your eyes, so that you could not take in 
the beauty all about. Then indeed would your heart 
be sad, doubly sad, where it is so beautiful. Can you 
understand that ? ” 

A pain shot through Heidi’s happy heart. The great 
shade over the eyes reminded her of the grandmother, 
who could never again see the bright sun and all the 
beauty up there. To Heidi it was a grief that was 
always revived as often as the fact occurred to her. 
She remained perfectly silent for some time, for the 
pain had so broken into the midst of her joy. Then she 
said earnestly : — 

“Yes, indeed, I can understand that. But I know 
something; then you must say the grandmother’s 
hymns, and they will give you a little light, and per- 
haps so much light that you will become quite happy. 
The grandmother said so.” 

“What hymns, Heidi ? ” asked the doctor. 

“ I know only the one about the sun and the beauti- 
ful garden, and the verses the grandmother likes from 
the other long one, for I always have to read it three 
times,” replied Heidi. 

“Just tell me these verses, I should like to hear 
them.” And the doctor sat up straight at once to 
listen attentively. 

Heidi folded her hands and collected her thoughts 
for a little. 

“ Shall I begin where the grandmother says that trust 
returns to one’s heart ? ” 


CONSOL A TION. 


243 


The doctor nodded assent. 

Then Heidi began : — 

“ Oh, trust His love to guide thee , 

He is a Prince so wise 

That what His hands provide thee 

Is wondrous in thine eyes . 

And He, if He be willing, 

May bring the work about 
A ltd thus thy hopes fulfilling 
Disfel thy fear and doubt. 

It may be for a season 
He will no comfort show, 

And for some hidden reason 
His light will not bestow. 

As if no more He heeded 
What sorrow was thy share, 

Or what relief thou needed 
In all thy deep despair. 

But if thy sure faith stays thee 
When thou art most perplext , 

He will appear and raise thee 
What time thou least expect J st. 

He will remove the burden 
That presses thy heart down , 

And thou shalt have the guerdon 
And thou shalt wear the crown.”* 

Heidi stopped suddenly, for she was not sure that 
the doctor was still listening. He had laid his hand 
over his eyes and was sitting motionless. She thought 
perhaps he had fallen asleep ; so if he should wake up 
and care to hear more verses she would repeat them to 

* Tr. by N. H. D. 


244 


HEIDI : 


him. Everything was still. The doctor said nothing, 
but he was not asleep. He had been carried back to 
days of long ago. He stood as a little boy beside his 
dear mother’s chair; she had placed her arm around 
his neck and was repeating the hymn which Heidi had 


just repeated, and which he had not heard for so long. 
Now he heard his mother’s voice again and saw her 
gentle eyes resting on him so lovingly, and when the 
words of the hymn had ceased, the kind voice seemed 
to be speaking still other words to him ; he must have 
enjoyed listening to them and have gone far back in 
his thoughts, for he sat there for a long while, silent 



CONSOL A TION. 


245 


and motionless, with his face buried in his hands. 
When he finally rose he noticed that Heidi was looking 
at him in amazement. He took the child’s hand in 
his. 

“ Heidi, your hymn was beautiful,” he said; and his 
voice sounded more cheerful than it had been before. 
“We will come up here another day, and you shall 
repeat it to me once more.” 

During all this time Peter was having enough to do 
in giving vent to his vexation. Heidi had not been with 
him up to the pasture for several days, and now that 
she had finally come this old gentleman sat beside her 
the whole time, and Peter could not come near her at 
all. This greatly annoyed him. He took his place at 
a distance higher up, where the unsuspecting gentleman 
could not see him, and here he first doubled up one fist 
and shook it, and after a while he doubled up both fists, 
and the longer Heidi remained sitting beside the doc- 
tor, the more frantically Peter doubled up his fists and 
the higher and more threateningly he raised them in 
the air behind the gentleman’s back. 

Meanwhile the sun had reached the point where it 
stands when it is time for the midday meal ; this Peter 
knew well enough. Suddenly he screamed down with 
all his might to the others : — 

“ We must have something to eat ! ” 

Heidi rose and was going to get the bag, so that the 
doctor could have his dinner just where he was sitting. 
But he said he was not hungry; he wanted nothing 
but a glass of milk to drink, and then he would like to 


246 


HEIDI . 


go about a little more on the mountain and climb some- 
what higher. Then Heidi discovered that she was not 
hungry either, and that she cared for only a glass of 
milk, after which she would like to take the doctor to 
the big moss-covered rock, high up, where Distelfinck 
had almost jumped over, and where all the spicy herbs 
grew. She ran to Peter and explained it all to him, 
how he must first take a bowl of milk from Schwanli 
for the doctor and another for herself. At first Peter 
looked at Heidi for some time in amazement, then he 
asked : — 

“ Who is to have what is in the bag ? ” 

“You may have it, but you must get the milk first 
and be quick about it,” was Heidi’s reply. 

Peter had never done anything in his life so quickly 
as he accomplished this task, for he saw the bag con- 
stantly before him, and he did not know how its con- 
tents looked, and yet it belonged to him. As soon as 
the two others had drunk their milk, Peter opened the 
bag and took a look into it. When he saw the wonder- 
ful piece of meat his whole body trembled with delight, 
and he looked into the bag again to make sure that it 
was really true. Then he put his hand in to take out 
the welcome gift and enjoy it. But suddenly he put 
his hand back, as if he dared not take it. He recalled 
how he had stood there behind the doctor and shook 
his fists at him, and now the same gentleman had given 
him all his splendid dinner. Then Peter was sorry for 
what he had done, for it seemed as if it hindered him 
from taking his fine present and enjoying it. Suddenly 


& 


CONSOL A TION. 


247 


he jumped up and ran back to the place where he had 
been standing, stretched both his hands wide open up 
in the air, as a sign that his clinched fists meant 
nothing, and so remained standing there for some time 
until he felt that his deed was atoned for. Then he 
took great leaps back to the bag ; for now that his con- 
science was clear he could eat his unusually nice dinner 
with perfect enjoyment. 

The doctor and Heidi wandered about together for a 
long while and enjoyed each other’s company. Then 
the doctor found that it was time for him to go back, 
and thought that the child would like to stay a little 
longer with her goats. But Heidi had no such idea, 
for then the doctor would have to go alone down 
the whole length of the mountain. She would walk 
with him as far as her grandfather’s hut, and even far- 
ther. She went hand in hand with her good friend, 
and had all the way a great deal to tell him and show 
him ; she wanted him to see all the places where the 
goats liked best to feed, and where grew the greatest 
number of bright yellow wild roses and red centauries 
and other flowers to be found in the summer time. 
She knew them all, for her grandfather had taught her 
their names. 

But at last the doctor said he must go. They bade 
each other good-night, and as he went down the moun- 
tain he turned every little while to look back, and saw 
Heidi still standing in the same place, gazing after him 
and waving her hand to him. Just so had his own dear 
little daughter done when he went away from his house. 


248 


HEIDI. 


It was a clear sunny autumn month. Every morning 
the doctor came up on the mountain, and then there 
was a delightful excursion farther up. Often he went 
off with the Aim-Uncle far up into the craggy moun- 
tains, where the old weather-beaten fir trees were; 
the great robber-bird must have had his nest near by, 
for he often whizzed past, whirring and croaking, close 
to the heads of the two men. 

The doctor took great pleasure in his companion’s 
society, and was more and more amazed to see how 
familiar the uncle was with all the plants around on 
his mountain, and how well he knew what they were 
good for, and how many valuable and good things he 
discovered everywhere up there, in the pitchy fir trees 
and the sombre pines with their fragrant needles, in 
the crinkled moss, sprouting out between the roots of 
the old trees, and in all the delicate little plants and 
modest flowers, still growing quite high up in the nour- 
ishing mountain soil. 

The old man was equally familiar with the life and 
habits of all the animals up there, both great and small, 
and he had very amusing things to tell the doctor about 
the ways of these little creatures living in holes in the 
rocks, caves, and even the branches of the lofty fir 
trees. 

The doctor did not know where the time went on 
these excursions, and often at evening when he shook 
the uncle’s hand heartily at parting, he would say : — 

“ My good friend, I never go away from you without 
learning something new.” 


CONSOL A TION. 


249 


But on many days, and usually on the finest, the 
doctor chose to go with Heidi. Then the two would 
often sit together on the lovely cliff where they sat the 
first day, and Heidi had to repeat her hymns and tell 
the doctor what she knew. And Peter would often sit 
behind them in his place, but he was now quite peace- 
able and no longer shook his fists at them. 

Thus the lovely month of September came to an 
end. Then one morning the doctor came, looking less 
happy than usual. He said it was his last day, and he 
must go back to Frankfurt; this grieved him very 
much, for he had become as fond of the mountain as if 
it were his own home. This news pained the Aim-Uncle 
also, for he had particularly enjoyed the doctor’s com- 
pany, and Heidi had become so accustomed to see her 
beloved friend every day that she could not understand 
that the pleasure was now suddenly coming to an end. 
She looked up at him inquiringly and quite amazed. 
But it was really so. The doctor bade her grandfather 
farewell and then asked if Heidi would go with him a 
little way. With her hand in his she went down the 
mountain, but she could not fully realize that he was 
really going away. 

After a while the doctor stood still and said that Heidi 
had come far enough, and she must turn back. He 
pressed his hand tenderly over the child’s curly hair two 
or three times and said : — 

“ Now I must go, Heidi ! If only I could take you 
to Frankfurt and could keep you with me ! ” 

All Frankfurt suddenly rose before Heidi’s eyes, its 


250 


HEIDI ; 


many, many houses and stony streets, as well as Fraulein 
Rottenmeier and Tinette, and she answered somewhat 
timidly : — 

“ I would rather have you come back to us 
again.” 

“ Well, yes, perhaps it would be better, so good-bye, 
Heidi,” said the doctor kindly, holding out his hand to 
her. Heidi laid hers in it and looked up at her depart- 
ing friend. The kind eyes which looked down at her 
filled with tears. Then the doctor turned quickly and 
hastened down the mountain. 

Heidi remained standing and did not stir. The 
beloved eyes and the tears which she saw in them went 
straight to her heart. Suddenly she burst into loud 
weeping and rushed with all her might after the fast 
disappearing doctor and called between her sobs as 
loudly as she could : — 

“ Doctor ! Doctor ! ” 

He turned around and stood still. 

The child had now reached him. The tears streamed 
down her cheeks while she sobbed out : — 

“I will truly go with you to Frankfurt now, and I 
will stay with you as long as you like, but I must hurry 
back to tell my grandfather.” 

The doctor soothingly caressed the excited child. 

“ No, my dear Heidi,” he said in the kindest tone, 
“ not now ; you must stay longer under the fir trees, 
for you might be sick again if you went with me. But 
come, I want to ask you something : if I am ever sick 
and alone, will you come to me then and stay with me ? 


CONSOL A TION. 


251 


Can I think that then some one will care for me and 
love me ? ” 

“Yes, yes; then I will surely come to you, the very 
same day ; and I love you almost as well as my grand- 
father,” said Heidi decidedly, still sobbing. 

Then the doctor pressed her hand once more and 
hurried on his way. But Heidi remained standing in 
the same spot, waving her hand again and again, until 
the form of her friend, as he hastened away, was a mere 
speck in the distance. When he turned round for the 
last time and looked back at Heidi, waving her hand, 
and the sunny mountain, he said softly to himself : — 

“It is good to be on the mountain ; body and soul get 
well there, and life becomes happy again.” 


CHAPTER IV. 


THE WINTER IN DORFLI. 

Around the Aim hut the snow lay so deep that it 
looked as if the windows were on a level with the 
ground, for not a bit of the wall was to be seen below 
them ; moreover, the house door had completely disap- 
peared. If the Aim-Uncle had been up there he would 
have had to do the same thing that Peter did every 
day. Every morning he had to jump out of the win- 
dow, and if everything was not frozen he sank so deep 
in the soft snow that had fallen during the night that 
he had to push and struggle and kick in every direction 
with his hands and feet and head, until he had worked 
his way out. Then his mother would hand him the 
big broom from the window, and with this Peter would 
push and shove the snow before him until he reached 
the door. Then he had great trouble, for there all the 
snow had to be dug away, or if it was still soft when 
the door opened, the whole great mass would fall into 
the kitchen, or else it froze up, and then they were 
completely walled in, for they could not make their way 
through these rock-like heaps of ice, and Peter was the 
only one who could slip through the little window. 

Freezing weather brought many conveniences to 
Peter. If he was going down to Dorfli, all he had to 

252 


THE WINTER IN DORFLI. 


253 


do was to open the window, crawl through and get out 
on the smooth surface of the firm snow field. Then his 
mother would push his little sled through the window 
after him, and Peter had only to seat himself on it and 
slide wherever he liked ; in any case he went down, for 
the whole Aim all about was one great unbroken 
slope. 

The uncle was not on the Aim that winter ; he had 
kept his word. As soon as the first snow fell he had 
shut up the hut and shed and had gone down to Dorfli 
with Heidi and the goats. Near the church and the 
parsonage stood a spacious building, which in old times 
had been a great mansion. This could still be seen in 
many places, although now the building was more or 
less in ruins. A brave warrior had once lived in it ; he 
had gone to the Spanish wars and had performed many 
brave deeds and gained great wealth. Then he had 
come home to Dorfli, and with his gains built a splendid 
house in which he intended to live. But he did not stay 
long, it was so tedious to him, for he had lived too 
much in the noisy world to be able to endure the quiet 
Dorfli. He went away again and never came back. 
After many, many years when it was known that he 
was really dead, a distant relative down in the valley 
took the house, but it was already tumbling to pieces, 
and the new owner did not care to build it up again. 
So poor people who had to pay little for it came into 
the house, and if a part of the building fell, they let 
it lie. 

Since that time many years had passed by. When the 


254 


HEIDI. 


uncle came back with the young boy Tobias he took 
the ruined house and lived in it. Since then it had 
stood empty most of the time, for no one without skill 
to stop the work of destruction to some extent and to 
fill up and mend the holes and gaps could stay there. 
The winter in Dorfli was long and cold. The wind 
blew in from every side through the rooms, so that the 
lights were blown out and the poor people shook with 
the cold. But the uncle knew how to manage. As 
soon as he had made up his mind to spend the winter 
in Dorfli, he took the old house again, and often during 
the autumn came down to mend and repair it as he 
liked. About the middle of October he brought Heidi 
down. 

Entering the house from the rear, one came at once 
into an open room, the entire wall on one side of which, 
and half on the other, had fallen in. Above this an 
arched window was still to be seen, but the glass had 
long been out of it, and thick ivy crept around it and 
high up on the roof, which was, for the most part, still 
solid. It was beautifully arched, and one could easily 
see that it had been a chapel. There being no door, 
one came directly into a large hall, and here in places 
in the floor were still some handsome tiles between 
which the grass grew thick. The walls were half gone, 
and great pieces of the roof had given way ; had it 
not been for two heavy pillars, the whole roof would 
have been gone; as it was, it looked as if it might at 
any moment fall on the heads of those standing under- 
neath. 


THE WINTER IN D OREL I. 


255 


Here the uncle had put up a partition of boards and 
had covered the floor thickly with hay, for in this old 
hall the goats were to be housed. 

Then there were all sorts of passageways, all half 
uncovered, so that the sky could be seen through, and 
sometimes the meadows and the road outside. But in 
the front where the heavy oaken door still hung firmly 
on its hinges, one came to a large spacious room which 
was still in good condition. The four walls were all 
standing, the dark wood wainscotings showed not a 
break, and in one corner stood a huge stove, reaching 
almost to the ceiling, and on the white tiles were big 
blue pictures. There were old castles on them, with tall 
trees all around, and underneath a huntsman passing 
with his dogs. There was also a peaceful lake, under 
wide-spreading oaks, with a fisherman standing by it 
and holding his rod far out over the water. There was 
a seat all around the stove so that one could sit down 
and study the pictures. This at once took Heidi’s 
fancy. As soon as she came into the room with her 
grandfather, she ran to the stove, sat down on the 
bench, and began to look at the pictures. But as she 
moved along on the seat and came behind the stove, 
something new occupied her whole attention ; in the 
quite large space between the stove and the wall four 
boards were placed, like a bin for apples. But there 
were no apples in it; there actually lay Heidi’s bed 
exactly as it had been upon the Aim ; a thick bed of 
hay, with the linen sheet and the bag for a coverlet. 
Heidi shouted : — 


256 


HEIDI. 


“ Oh, grandfather, here is my bedroom ! Oh, how 
lovely ! But where will you sleep ? ” 

“ Your bedroom must be near the stove, so that you 
won’t freeze,” said her grandfather. “You may see 
mine too.” 

Heidi skipped across the big room after her grand- 
father, who opened a door on the other side ; and this 
led into a little room where he had arranged his bed. 
Then came another door. Heidi quickly opened it and 
stood still in amazement, for it looked into a sort of 
kitchen more enormous than any she had ever seen in 
her life. It had given her grandfather a great deal of 
work, and there was still much to do; for there were 
holes and wide cracks in the walls on all sides, where 
the wind blew in, although so many had been nailed 
up with boards that it looked as if little cupboards had 
been made all around in the wall. The grandfather 
had also succeeded in repairing the big ancient door 
with wires and nails, so that it could be shut; and this 
was a good thing, for it opened into the most ruined 
part of the building, overgrown with thick briars, where 
multitudes of lizards and beetles had their abode. 

The new dwelling-place pleased Heidi well, and on the 
very next day, when Peter came to see how they were 
getting along there, she had spied out every nook and 
corner so thoroughly that she was quite at home and 
could take Peter everywhere. She gave him no rest, 
until he had thoroughly seen all the wonderful things 
which their new house contained. 

Heidi slept excellently in her chimney corner, but 


THE WINTER IN DORFLI. 


257 


in the morning she thought she had wakened on 
the mountain, and that she must open the door of 
the hut at once to see if the reason the fir trees 
were not roaring was because the deep, heavy snow was 
lying on them and bending down their branches. So 
every morning at first she had to look around her for 
a long while until she remembered where she was, and 
every time she felt something stifling and pressing her 
heart, when she saw that she was not at home on the 
mountain. But when she heard her grandfather talk- 
ing outside with Schwanli and Barli, and the goats 
bleated so loud and merrily, as if they were calling to 
her, “ Hurry and come out, Heidi/’ then she felt that 
she was at home after all, and jumped gaily out of bed 
and hurried to the big goat barn. On the fourth day 
Heidi said : — 

“ To-day I must really go up to see the grandmother ; 
she can’t be alone so long.” 

But her grandfather did not agree to it. “ Not to- 
day, nor to-morrow either,” he said. “ The Aim is six 
feet deep with snow, and it keeps on snowing ; stout 
Peter can hardly get through it. A little thing like 
you, Heidi, would be snowed in and covered up the first 
thing, and you never could be found again. Wait a 
little, until it freezes, then you can easily walk over the 
crust.” 

It was a grief to Heidi at first to have to wait. But 
the days were now so full of work that one passed 
away and another came unawares. 

Every morning and every afternoon now Heidi went 


258 


HEIDI. 


to school and was quick in learning all her lessons. 
She hardly ever saw Peter in school, for he seldom 
came. The teacher was a meek man and only now 
and then said : — 

“ It seems to me Peter is absent again ; school would 
do him good ; but there is a great deal of snow up there, 
perhaps he can’t get through.” 

But toward evening, when school was out, Peter 
usually got through and paid a visit to Heidi. 

After a few days the sun came out again and threw its 
rays over the white earth ; but it went down behind the 
mountains again very early, as if it was not so well 
pleased to look down as in summer, when everything 
was green and in bloom. In the evening the moon 
rose very bright and big, and all night long shone over 
the vast snow fields, and the next morning the whole 
mountain from top to bottom glistened and glittered 
like a crystal. When Peter jumped out of the window 
into the deep snow, as he had done the day before, 
something happened which he had not expected. In- 
stead of coming down into the soft snow, he struck on 
a surprisingly hard surface, and before he knew it, had 
slipped a good piece down the mountain, like an empty 
sled. In great surprise he finally succeeded in getting 
on his feet again, and then stamped with all his might 
on the crust, to assure himself that what had just hap- 
pened was really possible. It was actually so ; as he 
stamped and beat with his heels, he could scarcely 
break off the least bit of ice ; the whole Aim was frozen 
as hard as a rock. Peter liked this ; for he knew that 


THE WINTER IN DORFLI. 


259 


this state of things was necessary for Heidi to be able 
to come up there again. He promptly turned back, 
swallowed the milk which his mother had just put on 
the table, tucked his piece of bread into his pocket, and 
said hastily : — 

“ I must go to school.” 

“Yes, do go and study hard,” said his mother en- 
couragingly. 

Peter crawled through the window, for now they 
were shut in again on account of the heaps of ice before 
the door, pulled his little sled after him, sat down on 
it, and shot down the mountain. 

It went like lightning, and when he came near to 
Dorfli, where it goes farther down toward Mayenfeld, 
Peter kept on, for it occurred to him that he might 
injure himself and his sled if he should stop suddenly. 
So he went on until he was down on level ground and 
the sled stopped of itself. Then he got up and looked 
around. The force of the descent had carried him 
somewhat beyond Mayenfeld. Then he considered 
that he should be too late for school, as it had begun 
some time before, and it would take him almost an 
hour to climb back there again. So he had plenty of 
time to go back. This he did, and reached Dorfli just 
as Heidi had returned from school and was sitting down 
to dinner with her grandfather. Peter went in, and as 
this time he had a definite idea to propound, it was upper- 
most in his mind, and he had to speak it out at once. 

“We’ve got it,” said Peter, standing still in the 
middle of the room. 


260 


HEIDI ; 


“ Got what, general ? That sounds well,” said the 
uncle. 

“The crust,” replied Peter. 

“Oh! oh! Now I can go up to see the grand- 
mother!” shouted Heidi joyfully, for she had at once 
understood Peter’s manner of expressing himself. “ But 
why didn’t you come to school, then ? You could slide 
down well enough,” she suddenly added in reproach ; 
for it occurred to Heidi that it was not right to remain 
away from school if one could go as well as not. 

“ Went too far on my sled ; ’t was too late,” replied 
Peter. 

“That is called desertion,” said the uncle; “and 
people who do that are taken by the ears ! Do you 
hear?” 

Peter pulled his cap in alarm, for there was nobody 
in the world for whom he had so great respect as for 
the Aim-Uncle. 

“ And, besides, a leader such as you are ought to be 
doubly ashamed of running away so,” continued the 
uncle. 

“What would you think if your goats should run 
one this way and another that, and refuse to follow you, 
and do what was good for them ? What would you 
do then ? ” 

“Beat them,” replied Peter knowingly. 

“ And if a boy behaves like an unruly goat and is 
beaten a little, what would you say to that ? ” 

“ Served him right,” was the answer. 

“ Well, now understand, goat-colonel, if you go past 


THE WINTER IN DOR ELI 261 

the school on your sled a single time when you ought 
to be in it, come here to me and get what you deserve.” 

Then Peter understood what the Aim-Uncle meant: 
that he considered the boy that played truant like an 
unruly goat. He was quite impressed by this likeness 
and looked a little anxiously into the corner to see 
whether he could discover what he used at such times 
for the goats. 

The uncle then said cheerfully : — 

“ Come to the table now and sit down with us, then 
Heidi may go with you. If you bring her back home 
at evening, you will find your supper here.” 

This unexpected turn of affairs was highly delight- 
ful to Peter ; his face was twisted in every way with 



delight. He obeyed instantly and sat down beside 
Heidi. But the child had already had enough and could 
swallow no more, she was so delighted that she could 
go to see the grandmother. She pushed the big potato 


262 


HEIDI. 


and the toasted cheese, still left on her plate, toward 
Peter, who had already had his plate filled from the other 
side by the uncle, so that he had a regular wall before 
him; but courage to attack it was not lacking. Heidi 
ran to the cupboard and brought out the little cloak 
Klara had given her ; now she could, take the journey, 
warmly wrapped up, with the hood over her head. She 
placed herself beside Peter, and as soon as he had 
shoved in his last mouthful she said : — 

“ Now come ! ” 

Then they started along. Heidi had a great deal 
to tell Peter about Schwanli and Barli : that neither of 
them would eat anything the first day in their new 
barn, and that they had hung their heads the whole day 
and not made a sound. She had asked her grandfather 
why they did so, and he had said that they felt just as 
she did in Frankfurt, for they had never been down 
from the Aim in all their lives. And Heidi added : — 

“ You just ought to know once what that is, Peter.” 

The two had almost reached the end of their journey 
before Peter said a word, and it seemed as if he was 
so deeply absorbed in thought that he could not hear 
right, as usual. When they reached the hut, Peter 
stood still and said somewhat crossly : — 

“There ! I would rather go to school than take from 
the uncle what he said.” 

Heidi was of the same opinion and encouraged him 
eagerly in his decision. 

In the room inside, Peters mother was sitting alone 
with her mending ; she said the grandmother had to 


THE WINTER IN DORFLI. 


263 


spend the day in bed, as it was too cold for her, and 
besides she was not quite well. This was something 
new to Heidi ; the grandmother had always before been 
sitting in her place in the corner. She ran straight to 
her in her room. She was lying entirely wrapped up in 
the gray shawl in her narrow bed with the thin covering. 

“ God be praised and thanked !” said the grandmother 
as soon as she heard Heidi running in. All the autumn 
long she had had a secret anxiety in her heart, and it 
still pursued her, especially if Heidi did not come to see 
her for a long time. Peter had reported how a strange 
gentleman from Frankfurt had been there and always 
went up to the pasture with them and talked with 
Heidi, and the grandmother believed nothing else than 
that the gentleman had come to take Heidi away again. 
After he finally went off alone, her anxiety returned 
lest some person should be sent from P'rankfurt to take 
the child back. Heidi ran to her bedside and asked 
with concern : — 

“Are you very ill, grandmother ? ” 

“ No, no, child,” said the old dame soothingly, while 
she stroked the child’s face affectionately ; “ the cold 
weather has got into my limbs a little.” 

“ Will you be well right away, as soon as it is warm 
again ? ” asked Heidi eagerly. 

“ Yes, yes, God willing, even before that, so that I 
can get to my spinning-wheel. I even thought to-day 
that I would try it ; to-morrow it will surely be going 
again,” said the grandmother, for she had already 
noticed that the child was alarmed. 


264 


HEIDI. 


Her words soothed Heidi, who was very much trou- 
bled, for she had never found the grandmother sick in 
bed before. She looked at her a little while in surprise, 
and then said : — 

“ In Frankfurt they put on a shawl to go outdoors in. 
Did you think you ought to put it on when you go to 
bed, grandmother ? ” 

“ Do you know, Heidi/’ she replied, “ I wrap the 
shawl around me so in bed in order not to freeze. I 
am so glad to have it, for the bed covering is rather 
thin.” 

“ But, grandmother,” Heidi began again, “ your head 
goes down hill, where it ought to go up ; a bed ought 
not to be like that.” 

“ I know it, child, I realize it well enough”; and the 
grandmother tried to find a better place for the pillow, 
that lay like a thin board under her head. “ You see the 
pillow was never thick, and now I have slept so many 
years on it that I have made it rather flat.” 

“ Oh, if only I had asked Klara when I was in Frank- 
furt to let me take my bed home with me ! ” exclaimed 
Heidi ; “ it had three big, thick pillows, one on top of 
another, so that I could n’t sleep, and always slipped 
down where it was flat, and then I had to move up 
again because I ought n’t to sleep so. Could you sleep 
so, grandmother ? ” 

“Yes, indeed; it would make me warm, and I could 
breathe so easily if I could lie with my head high,” 
said the grandmother, lifting her head rather wearily, 
as if to find a higher place for it. “But we won’t talk 


THE WINTER IN DORFLI. 


265 


about that, for I have to thank the dear Lord for so 
much that other sick old people do not have : the nice 
rolls that I have all the time, and the nice warm shawl 
here, and your coming to see me, Heidi. Will you 
read something to me again to-day, Heidi ? ” 

Heidi ran out and brought back the old hymn book. 
Then she found one beautiful song after another, for 
she knew them well now, and enjoyed them herself, 
and it was many days since she had heard all the verses 
she was so fond of. 

The grandmother lay with folded hands, and on her 
face, which at first had looked so troubled, now rested a 
happy smile, as if a great good fortune had come to her. 
Suddenly Heidi stopped. 

“ Grandmother, are you well again already ? ” 

“ I ’m feeling much better, Heidi. What you have 
read to me has done me good. Finish it, will you ? ” 
The child read the hymn to the end, and when she 
came to the last words, — 

“ When mine eyes grow dimmer , sadder , 

Pour thy light into my heart, 

That I may pass over gladder 

Than men to their homes depart — 

the grandmother repeated them over and over, and an 
expression of very joyful expectation came over her 
face. Heidi felt so happy to see it. All the sunny 
day of her journey home rose before her, and she 
exclaimed with delight : — 

“ Grandmother, I know already how it seems to be 
on the way home.” 


266 


HEIDI. 


The grandmother did not answer, but she had heard 
the words perfectly, and the expression which had 
pleased Heidi remained on her face. 

After a while the child said : — 

“ It is growing dark now, grandmother ; I must go 
back ; but I am so glad that you are happy again.” 

The grandmother took the child’s hand in hers and 
held it fast ; then she said : — 

“ Yes, I am so happy again ; if I must stay lying 
here, I am content. You see, nobody who has not been 
through it knows what it is to have to lie for days and 
days all alone, and not hear a word from another human 
being, and not be able to see — not see even a single sun- 
beam. Then such gloomy thoughts come to one that 
it often seems as if it never could be bright again and 
one could not bear it any longer. But when I hear the 
words which you have read to me, it is as if a light 
arose in my heart, and that makes me happy again.” 

Then the grandmother let go Heidi’s hand, and after 
she had said good-night, Heidi ran back into the other 
room and hurriedly drew Peter out, for it had already 
grown late. However, outside the moon was in the 
sky and shone as brightly on the white snow as if the 
daylight had come back. Peter arranged his sled, sat 
down on it in front, with Heidi behind, and away they 
shot down the Aim, exactly as if they were two birds 
rushing through the air. 

Later, when Heidi was lying in her lovely, deep bed 
of hay, she began to think about the grandmother again, 
and how uncomfortably her head lay; and then she 


THE WINTER IN DORFLI. 


267 


remembered all that she had said, and the light the 
words kindled in her heart. And she thought if the 
grandmother only could hear the words every day, then 
she would feel well all the time. But she knew that 
now a whole week, or perhaps even two, must pass before 
she could go up to her again. This seemed so sad to 
Heidi that she kept thinking harder and harder what 
she could do to have the grandmother hear the words 
every day.' Suddenly help came to her, and she was 
so glad about it that it seemed to her she could hardly 
wait for the morning to come so that she might carry 
out her plan. All at once Heidi sat straight up in bed, 
for she had been so deep in thought that she had not 
sent up her evening prayer to the dear Lord, and she 
would never forget that again. 

When she had prayed straight from her heart for 
herself and her grandfather and the grandmother, she 
fell back at once into her soft hay and slept very 
soundly and peacefully until the bright morning. 


CHAPTER V. 


THE WINTER STILL CONTINUES. 

After this, Peter came down to school at exactly the 
right time. He brought his dinner with him in his 
bag, for this was the custom there. When all the chil- 
dren in Dorfli had gone home at noon, the other scholars, 
who lived at a distance, sat down on the class table, 
braced their feet firmly against the seats, and spread 
the luncheon they had brought in their laps, to take 
their midday meal. They could enjoy themselves until 
one o’clock, then school began again. When Peter 
had spent the day in school, he went after it was over 
to the uncle’s, to pay a visit to Heidi. 

When he entered the big room, Heidi ran to meet 
him, for she had been expecting him. 

“Peter, I know something,” she called to him. 

“ Say it,” he replied. 

“ You must learn to read,” was the news she had for 
him. 

“ It ’s no use,” was the reply. 

“ Oh, Peter ! I don’t agree with you,” said Heidi 
eagerly ; “ I think that you can after a little.” 

“ Cannot,” remarked Peter. 

“ Nobody believes such a thing as that, and I don’t 
either,” said Heidi very decidedly. “ The grandmamma 
268 


THE WINTER STILL CONTINUES. 


269 


in Frankfurt knew that it wasn’t true, and she told me 
that I ought not to believe it either.” 

Peter was dumfounded at this news. 

“ I will teach you to read ; I know how very well,” 
Heidi continued. “ You must learn now once for all, 
and then you must read one or two hymns every day to 
your grandmother.” 

“ Don’t want to,” grumbled Peter. 

This obstinacy toward something which was good 
and right and which Heidi had set her heart on made 
her angry. With flashing eyes she placed herself in 
front of the boy and said threateningly : — 

“ Then I will tell you what will happen, if you will 
never learn anything ; your mother has already said 
twice that you would have to go to Frankfurt to learn 
something, and I know very well where the boys go 
to school there; Klara showed me the frightfully big 
house when we were out driving. There they don’t 
go merely when they are boys, but just the same when 
they get to be great, big men ; I saw that myself ; and 
then you must n’t suppose that there is only one teacher 
there, as we have here, and such a kind one. Whole 
rows, ever so many together, are always going into the 
house, and all of them are dressed in black, as if they 
were going to church, and have such high black hats on 
their heads”; and Heidi measured the size of the hats 
from the floor up. 

The shivers ran down Peter’s back. 

“ And then you would have to go in among all the 
masters,” continued Heidi eagerly ; “and if it came your 


270 


HEIDI. 


turn, you couldn’t read at all and would make mistakes 
even in the alphabet. Then you would see how the 
masters would laugh at you, and that is much worse 
than Tinette, and you ought to know how it is when 
she laughs at you.” 

“Then I will,” said Peter half petulantly, half whin- 
ingly. 

In a moment Heidi was pacified. 

“ Well, that is right, and we will begin at once,” she 
cried in her delight ; and pulling Peter in a business- 
like way to the table, she brought out the articles 
needed for work. 

In Klara’s big package there was a little book which 
had pleased Heidi very much, and it had occurred to 
her the night before that it would be a good thing to use 
for teaching Peter. It was an A-B-C book in rhyme. 

They both sat down at the table, their heads bent 
over the little book, and the lesson began. 

Peter had to spell the first sentence over and over 
again, for Heidi insisted on having it done nicely and 
without hesitation. 

Finally she said : — 

“You don’t know it yet, but I will read it over and 
over to you ; if you know what it means, you can spell 
it out better and Heidi read : — 

il If A, B , C, you do not know, 

Before the school board you will go A 

“ I will not go,” said Peter angrily. 

“ Where ? ” asked Heidi. 


THE WINTER STILL CONTINUES. 


271 


“ Before the school board,” was the reply. 

“ Then try to learn the three letters, and you won’t 
have to go,” explained Heidi. 

Then Peter began again and repeated the three let- 
ters perseveringly until Heidi said : — 

“ Now you know these three.” 

But as she noticed what an effect the words had 
made on Peter, she wanted to prepare a little for the 
following lessons. 

“ Wait, — I will read you the other sentences,” she 
continued ; “then you will see all that is coming.” 

And she began to read very clearly and distinctly : — 

“ D, E, E, G, must smoothly fly, 

Or else misfortune will be nigh. 

If H, /, f, K, are forgot, 

Misfortune is upon the spot. 

Whoe'er on L, M, still will stmnble 
Must pay a fine and then feel humble. 

There 's sofnething bad, and if you knew 
You ’ d quickly learn N , O, P, Q. 

If still on R, S, T, you halt, 

The harm that co?nes will be your fault T 

Here Heidi stopped, for Peter was as still as a mouse, 
and she had to see what he was doing. All these threats 
and mysterious horrors had so overcome him that he 
could not move a muscle, and was staring at Heidi 
in terror. 

This immediately touched Heidi’s tender heart, and 
she said comfortingly : — 


272 


HEIDI. 


“You mustn’t be frightened, Peter; just come to 
me every afternoon, and if you learn as well as you 
have to-day, you will know all the letters after a while, 
and then nothing will happen to you. But you must 
come every day, and not the way you go to school. If 
it snows it won’t do you any harm.” 

Peter promised to do so, for fear had made him quite 
docile and obedient. Then he started home. 

Peter followed Heidi’s orders strictly, and every 
afternoon studied the other letters eagerly and learned 
the rhymes by heart. 

The grandfather often sat in the room and listened 
to the exercise, while he smoked his pipe contentedly, 
and every little while the corners of his mouth twitched, 
as if he could hardly keep from laughing. 

After the great struggle Peter was usually invited to 
remain and take supper with them ; and this at once 
richly rewarded him for the anguish that day’s verse 
had caused him to endure. 

Thus the winter days passed away. Peter was regu- 
lar and really made progress with his letters. 

But he had to wrestle every day with the verses. 

They had gone as far as U. When Heidi read the 
couplet, — 

“ If ever you mix U and V, \ 

You II go where you II not like to bef — 

Peter growled : — 

“ Yes, see if I will ! ” 

But he learned them thoroughly, as if he was under 
the impression that some one might take him secretly 


THE WINTER STILL CONTINUES. 


273 


by the throat and carry him where he would not care 
to go. 

On the following afternoon Heidi read : — 

“ If now you fail to know the IV , 

There hangs a stick and it will trouble you." 

Then Peter looked around and said scornfully: — 

“ There is n’t any.” 

“ Yes, there is ; don’t you know what grandfather has 
in the chest?” asked Heidi. “A stick as big around 
as my arm, and when he takes it out he can say : — 

“ ‘ Behold the stick, and it will trouble you.’ ” 

Peter knew the big hazel stick. He bent over his 
W at once and tried to grasp it. 

The next day it read : — 

“ If you the letter X forget , 

For you no supper will be set." 

Then Peter looked inquiringly toward the cupboard 
where the bread and cheese were kept, and said snap- 
pishly : — 

“ I have never said that I should forget X.” 

“ That is right, if you don’t forget it ; then we can 
learn one letter more,” suggested Heidi; “and to-mor- 
row you will have only one left.” 

Peter was not agreed, but Heidi read : — 

“ If you on Y to-day delay , 

With scorn and shame you 'll go away." 

Then there rose before Peter’s eyes all the masters in 
Frankfurt with their tall, black hats on their heads and 


274 


HEIDI. 


scorn and ridicule in their faces. He immediately 
attacked the letter Y, ^nd did not let it go again until 
he knew it so well that he could close his eyes and still 
see how it looked. 

On the next day Peter was feeling rather proud when 
he came to Heidi, for there was only one letter left for 

him to study, and when 
Heidi read the verse to 
him, 

“ Who hesitates upon the Z, 
With the Hottentots shall be 

he said sneeringly : — 
“Yes, when nobody 
knows where they are ! ” 
“Indeed, Peter, my 
grandfather knows,” as- 
serted Heidi; “just wait 
and I will ask him right 
away where they are ; he 
is over at the pastor’s 
house” ; and Heidi jumped 
door. 

“ Wait ! ” screamed Peter in great alarm, for he 
already saw in his imagination the Aim-Uncle coming 
in with the pastor, and the two seizing him at once and 
sending him off to the Hottentots, for he really did not 
know the name of Z. His troubled cry made Heidi 
stand still. 

“ What is the matter with you ? ” she asked in surprise. 



up and was going out at the 


THE WINTER STILL CONTINUES. 


275 


“ Nothing ! Come back ! I will learn it,” stammered 
Peter. But Heidi wanted to know where the Hotten- 
tots were, and she was going to ask her grandfather any 
way. But Peter screamed so desperately after her that 
she gave it up and came back. He had to do some- 
thing to make up for it, however. Not only did Heidi 
make him repeat the letter Z so many times that it 
remained fast in his memory forever, but she went on 
at once to syllables, and Peter learned so much that 
afternoon that he made a great advance. 

Thus it went on day after day. 

The crust had become soft again, and every day 
there was a fresh fall of snow, so that for three long 
weeks together Heidi could not go up to see the grand- 
mother. All the more eager was she, in her work with 
Peter, to have him able to read the hymns. One 
evening Peter came home from Heidi’s and ran into 
the room, saying : — 

“ I can do it ! ” 

“ What can you do, Peterli ? ” asked his mother, full 
of hope. 

“ Reading,” he answered. 

“ Is it possible ! Did you hear, grandmother ? ” 
exclaimed Brigitte. 

The grandmother had heard it and also wondered 
how it had happened. 

“ Now I must read a hymn, for Heidi said so,” Peter 
went on to say. His mother at once took down the 
book, and the grandmother was delighted, it was so 
long since she had heard any good words. Peter sat 


276 


HEIDI. 


down at the table and began to read. His mother sat 
down beside him to listen ; after each verse she said in 
amazement : — 

“ Who could have thought it ? ” 

His grandmother followed one verse after another 
attentively, but said nothing to it. 

The day after this occurrence it happened that Peter’s 
class had a reading lesson. When Peter’s turn came 
the teacher said : — 

“ Peter, must I pass by you again, as usual, or will 
you once more — I will not say read, I will say try to 
stammer through a line ? ” 

Peter began and read three lines one after another 
without stopping. 

The teacher laid his book aside. He looked at Peter 
in dumb astonishment, as if he had never seen anything 
like it before. At last he said : — 

“ Peter, a miracle has happened to you ! As long 
as I have worked over you with inexpressible patience 
you have never been able to grasp even the alphabet. 
Now that I have, although unwillingly, given up work- 
ing over you as a useless task, it happens that you 
come out and have learned, not only the alphabet, but 
also to read properly, as well as quite clearly. Who has 
been able to work such a miracle in our time, Peter?” 

“ Heidi,” was the reply. 

In the greatest surprise the teacher looked toward 
Heidi, who was sitting quite innocently in her seat, so 
that there was nothing extraordinary in her appearance. 
He continued : — 


THE WINTER STILL CONTINUES. 


277 


“ I have noticed a change in you in many ways, Peter. 
While you used to be often absent from school the 
whole week, — yes, several weeks together, — lately you 
have not stayed away a day. Who can have caused 
such a change for the better in you ? ” 

“The uncle,” was the reply. 

With increasing astonishment the teacher looked 
from Peter to Heidi, and from her back again to Peter. 

“We will try it once more,” he then said cautiously; 
and Peter had to prove his knowledge with three lines 
more. It was a fact, he had learned to read. 

As soon as school was over, the teacher hastened to 
the pastor’s house to tell him what had happened, and 
what a good influence the uncle and Heidi were having 
in the parish. 

Every evening now Peter read a hymn at home. So 
far he obeyed Heidi, but no farther, for he never under- 
took a second one ; nor did the grandmother ever ask 
him to do so. 

His mother Brigitte wondered every day that Peter 
had succeeded in learning to read, and many an even- 
ing when the reading was over and the reader lay in 
his bed, she would say again to the grandmother : — 

“ We can’t be pleased enough that Peterli has learned 
to read so beautifully; now there’s no knowing what 
he may become.” 

Then the grandmother would answer : — 

“Yes, it is a good thing for him that he has learned 
something ; ‘but I shall be heartily glad if the dear Lord 
sends the spring soon, so that Heidi can come up 


278 


HEIDI. 


again. It is as if she read entirely different hymns. 
Something is so often left out in the verses when Peter 
reads them, and I have to try to remember it, and 
then I can’t follow the thought, and it does n’t impress 
my heart as it does when Heidi reads the words. ” 

This happened because Peter arranged the reading 
a little so that it would not be too difficult for him. If 
a word came that was too long or looked hard, he pre- 
ferred to leave it out, for he thought it would be all 
the same to the grandmother whether there were three 
or four words in a line. 

So it came about that there were hardly any nouns 
left in the hymns Peter read. 


CHAPTER VI. 


DISTANT FRIENDS ARE HEARD FROM. 

May had come. From every height the overflowing 
brooks were rushing down into the valley. Warm, 
bright sunshine lay on the mountain. It had grown 
green again ; the last traces of snow had melted away 
and the first little flowers, awakened by the alluring 
sunbeams, were peeping up with their bright eyes out 
of the fresh grass. The joyous spring wind blew 
through the fir trees and shook off the old, dark 
needles, so that the young, bright green ones could 
come out and dress the trees in splendor. High above 
the old robber-bird was swinging his wings in the blue 
air, and around the Aim hut the golden sunshine lay 
warm on the ground, drying up the last damp places so 
that one could sit down wherever one liked. 

Heidi was on the mountain again. She ran here 
and there and could not tell which spot was the loveliest. 
Now she had to listen to the wind as it blew down deep 
and mysterious from the cliffs above, coming nearer 
and growing mightier, and then leaping into the fir 
trees, bending and shaking them until it seemed as if 
it were shouting with delight ; and Heidi had to shout 
too, while she was blown hither and thither like a little 
leaf. Then she would run back to the sunny spot in 

279 




280 HEIDI. 

front of the house, sit down on the ground and peep 
into the short grass to see how many flower-cups were 
going to open or were open already. So many gay 
gnats and little beetles were hopping and crawling and 
dancing about in the sun and enjoying themselves, and 
Heidi was happy with them, and drew in long breaths 
of the spring fragrance, which came up out of the fresh 
earth. It seemed even more beautiful on the moun- 
tain than ever before. The thousand little creatures 
must have liked it as well as she did, for it seemed 
exactly as if they were all humming and singing for 
sheer delight : “ On the Aim ! On the Aim ! On the 
Aim ! ” 

From the workshop behind the house, every now 
and then, came the sound of busy hammering and saw- 
ing, and Heidi listened, for it was the old familiar 
sound she knew so well, and which she had heard ever 
since she came to live on the Aim. She had to jump 
up and run at once to the shop, for she wished to know 
what her grandfather was doing. In front of the work- 
shop door there was standing a fine new stool already 
finished, and her grandfather was working skilfully on 
another. 

“ Oh, I know what that is for !” exclaimed Heidi with 
delight. “ That wijl be needed when they come from 
Frankfurt. It is for the grandmamma, and the one 
you are making now is for Klara, and then — then there 
will have to be one more,” continued Heidi hesitatingly ; 
“or do you think, grandfather, that Fraulein Rotten- 
meier will not come with them ? ” 


DISTANT FRIENDS HEARD FROM. 


281 


“That I can’t say now,” said her grandfather, “but 
it will be safer to have one ready, so that we can invite 
her to sit down if she comes.” 

Heidi looked critically at the little wooden stool and 
quietly considered how it would suit Fraulein Rotten- 
meier. After a while she said doubtfully, shaking her 
head : — 

“Grandfather, I don’t believe she would sit on it.” 

“ Then we will invite her to the sofa with the beau- 
tiful green grass covering,” replied the grandfather 
quietly. 

As Heidi was thinking where the beautiful sofa with 
the green grass covering could be, suddenly there 
sounded from above a whistling and calling and rod 
swinging through the air, so that Heidi knew at once 
what it was. She ran out and was surrounded in a 
twinkling by the leaping goats. They must have been 
as glad as Heidi to be up on the mountain again, for 
they jumped higher and bleated more merrily than they 
had ever done before, and Heidi was pushed back and 
forth by them, for each one was anxious to get next to 
her and express its delight. But Peter pushed them 
all away, some to the right and others to the left, for 
he had a message to give to Heidi. When he had 
made his way to her, he held out a letter toward her. 

“ There ! ” he said, leaving Heidi to find out the rest 
for herself. She was very much surprised. 

“Did you find a letter for me up in the pasture? ” 
she asked in great astonishment. 

“No,” was the answer. 


282 


HEIDI. 


“Well, where did you get it, then, Peter? ” 

“ Out of the lunch bag.” 

That was so. The evening before the postmaster 
in Dorfli had given him the letter for Heidi. Peter 
had put it in the empty bag. In the morning he had 
put his cheese and his piece of bread on top of it and 
had started off. He had seen the uncle and Heidi 
when he went to get their goats ; at noon, when he had 
finished his bread and cheese and was going to shake 
the crumbs out of the bag, the letter fell into his hand. 

Heidi read the address carefully ; then she ran back 
to her grandfather in the shop and held out the letter 
to him in high glee. 

“ From Frankfurt ! From Klara ! Will you hear it 
now, grandfather ? ” 

He was very ready to hear it, and so was Peter, who 
had followed Heidi. He leaned his back against the 
doorpost in order to have a firm support while she 
read her letter, as it was easier to follow Heidi so. 

“ Dear Heidi, — Everything is already packed, and in two or 
three days we shall start on our journey as soon as papa is ready, 
but he cannot go with us, for he has to go to Paris first. The 
doctor comes every day and calls out at the door : ‘ Away ! 
Away! To the mountains! ’ He is impatient for us to get off. 
You ought to know how much he liked it himself on the Aim ! 
He has come to see us almost every day all winter long ; when- 
ever he came to see me he always said he must tell me all about 
it again ! Then he would sit down by me and tell me about all 
the days he spent with you and your grandfather on the Aim, 
about the mountains and the flowers, and the stillness so high up 
above all the villages and roads, and about the fine fresh air ; and 


DISTANT FRIENDS HEARD FROM. 283 

he often said : ‘ Everybody ought to get well up there.’ He him- 
self is so different from what he had been for a long time, and 
looks quite young and happy again. Oh, how glad I shall be to 
see it all and be with you on the mountain, and learn to know 
Peter and the goats ! But first I have to take the cure in Ragatz 
for about six weeks ; the doctor has ordered it. Afterwards we 
shall stay in Dorfli, and I shall be carried up on the mountain in 
my chair, in fine weather, to spend the day with you. 

“ Grandmamma is coming too and will stay with me ; she also 
will enjoy going up to see you. But think of it, Fraulein Rotten- 
meier will not come with us. Almost every day grandmamma 
says to her : — 

How is it about the journey to Switzerland, worthy Rotten- 
meier? If you would like to come with us, you can do so.’ 

“ But she always thanks her very politely and says she would n’t 
be so presuming. But I know what she is thinking about : 
Sebastian gave such a frightful description of the mountain, when 
he came back from going with you, — what terrible overhanging 
crags there were, and what danger there was everywhere of falling 
down into the chasms and ravines, that it was so steep climbing 
up that there was risk at every step of falling down backwards, 
and that goats might be able to climb up there, but no human 
being could do so without peril to his life, — that she shuddered 
at it, and since then has not been enthusiastic about traveling in 
Switzerland, as she was before. Tinette too has become frightened 
and will not come with us. So we are coming alone, grandmamma 
and I ; Sebastian will come with us as far as Ragatz, then he can 
go back home. 

“ I can hardly wait to come to you. 

“ Good-bye, dear Heidi. Grandmamma sends you a thousand 
greetings. << Your true friend, ,, 

’ LL -r A T~k A 7 7 


When Peter heard these words he ran away from 
the door post and struck out right and left so recklessly 


284 


HEIDI. 


and furiously with his rod that the goats, in the greatest 
terror, all took to flight and ran down the mountain, 
making such enormous leaps as they had seldom done 
before. Peter rushed after them beating the air with 
his rod, as if he had to vent his great spite on some 
invisible enemy. This enemy was the prospect of 
guests coming from Frankfurt, and this was what 
had so enraged him. 

Heidi was so full of happiness and joy that she 
really had to go to visit the grandmother the next day 
and tell her all about it — who were coming from Frank- 
furt, and also who were not coming. This was of the 
greatest importance to the grandmother, for she knew 
all the people so well and always felt the greatest 
interest in everything that concerned Heidi’s life. So 
early on the following afternoon Heidi started ; for now 
she could go alone once more to make her visits, for 
the sun was shining brightly again and remained longer 
in the sky, and there was a fine mountain path over the 
dry ground ; while the joyous May wind blew behind 
her and pushed her along faster and faster. 

The grandmother was no longer in bed. She was 
sitting once more in the corner spinning. But there 
was an expression on her face as if she had troublesome 
thoughts. It had been there since the evening before ; 
and the whole night long these thoughts had followed 
her and kept her from sleeping. Peter had come home 
in the midst of his great anger, and she had understood 
from his broken outcries that a crowd of people from 
Frankfurt was coming up to the Aim hut. What would 


DISTANT FRIENDS HEARD FROM. 


285 


happen afterwards he did not know ; but the grand- 
mother could not help thinking about it, and it was just 
these thoughts which had troubled her and kept her 
from sleeping. 

Heidi ran in, went straight to the grandmother, sat 
down on the little footstool which always stood there, 
and told her all that she knew with such eagerness 
that she herself began to realize it even more. But 
all of a sudden she stopped in the middle of a sentence 
and asked with concern : — 

“What is the matter, grandmother? don’t you like 
all this a single bit ? ” 

“ Yes, yes, Heidi, I am glad for you, because it will 
give you so much pleasure,” she answered, trying to 
look a little happier. 

“ But, grandmother, I can see very well that it 
troubles you. Do you think Fraulein Rottenmeier will 
come with them?” asked Heidi, feeling somewhat 
anxious herself. 

“ No, no ! it is nothing, it is nothing ! ” said the 
grandmother soothingly. “ Let me take your hand for 
a little, Heidi, so that I can feel that you are still here. 
It will be a good thing for you, even if I don’t live to 
see that day.” 

“ I don’t care for what is best for me, if you are not 
going to live to see it, grandmother,” said Heidi, so 
decidedly that suddenly a new fear arose in the old 
dame’s mind; she must take it for granted that the 
people from Frankfurt were coming to take Heidi 
away ; for now that she was well once more they would 


286 


HEIDI. 


surely want to take her back with them. This was a 
great grief to the grandmother. But she felt that she 
ought not to say anything about it before Heidi ; she 
would be so sorry for her that she would perhaps object 
to going, and that must not be. She sought for some 
remedy, but not long, for she knew but one. 

“ I know something, Heidi,” she then said, “that will 
make me feel better and bring me good thoughts 
again. Read me the hymn where it begins, ‘ God will 
bring.’ ” 

Heidi had now become so familiar with the old hymn 
book that she at once found the place the grandmother 
desired and read in a clear voice : — 

“ God will bring 
Everything 

Into order as is wholesome for thy soul j 
Thou shalt be 
Safe at sea , 

Though the foaming billows wildly round thee roll .' 1 ' 1 

“Yes, yes, that is exactly what I want to hear,” 
said the grandmother, relieved, and the expression of 
distress disappeared from her face. Heidi looked at 
her thoughtfully and then said : — 

“ Grandmother, does wholesome mean when every- 
thing is cured so that one is entirely well again ? ” 

“Yes, yes, that is what it will be,” said the grand- 
mother, nodding in assent ; “ and because the dear Lord 
will make it so ; we can be sure how it will come out. 
Read it once more, Heidi, so that we can fix it in our 
minds and not forget it.” 


DISTANT FRIENDS HEARD FROM. 


287 


Heidi read the lines over again, and then twice 
more, for the thought of safety pleased her so much. 

When evening came and Heidi was climbing up the 
mountain again, one little star after another came out 
and sparkled and twinkled down at her, and it seemed 
exactly as if each one wanted to send a new beam of 
great delight into her heart, and Heidi had to stand 
still every moment and look up, and when they all in 
every part of the sky looked down with still greater 
delight, she had to exclaim quite loudly: — 

“ I know now, because the dear Lord knows so well 
what is best, we can have such joy and be perfectly 
safe ! ” 

And the little stars all twinkled and sparkled and 
winked at Heidi, until she reached the hut, where her 
grandfather was standing, and also gazing up at the stars, 
for they had not shone so beautifully for a long time. 

Not only the nights but also the days in this month 
of May were brighter and clearer than they had been 
for many years, and the grandfather often looked out 
in the morning in surprise to see how the sun was 
coming up again in a cloudless sky, that the sunrise 
was as glorious as the sunset, and he would repeat : — 
“ It is a remarkably sunny year ; it will make the 
pasturage very rich. Take care, leader, that your 
leapers don’t get too wild from the good feed ! ” 

Then Peter would swing his rod boldly in the air, 
and the answer was plainly written on his face : — 

“ I ’ll be a match for them.” 

So the verdant May soon passed and June came with 


288 


HEIDI. 


its still warmer sun and long, long, light days, alluring 
all the flowers on the whole mountain to come out, so 
that they shone and glowed everywhere, and filled the 
air all about with their sweet fragrance. This month 
too was drawing to an end when one morning Heidi, 
having already finished her morning tasks, came run- 
ning out of the hut. She hurried out under the fir 
trees and then a little higher up to see if the big cen- 
taury bush was in bloom, for the little flowers were 
enchantingly lovely with the sun shining through them. 
But as Heidi was running around the hut she suddenly 
screamed with all her might so loud that the uncle came 
out of his shop, for it was something unusual. 

“ Grandfather ! grandfather ! ” cried the child as if 
beside herself. “ Come here ! come here ! See ! see ! ” 

The grandfather came at her call, and his eyes fol- 
lowed the excited child’s outstretched arm. 

A strange procession, such as had never been seen 
there before, was winding up the Aim. First came two 
men with a sedan chair in which sat a young girl 
wrapped up in ever so many shawls. Then came a 
horse on which sat a stately lady, who was looking with 
great interest in every direction and talking eagerly 
with the young guide walking by her side. Then came 
an empty wheel chair, pushed by another young fellow, 
for the invalid to whom it belonged could be carried 
more securely up the steep mountain in the sedan chair. 
Last of all walked a porter, who had so many wraps, 
shawls, and furs piled up in the basket on his back that 
they reached high above his head. 


DISTANT FRIENDS HEARD FROM. 


289 


“ There they are ! There they are ! ” screamed Heidi, 
jumping up in the air with delight. They really were 
coming. They came nearer and nearer and at last they 
were there. The porter put the chair down on the 
ground. Heidi ran to it and the two children greeted 



each other with immense delight. Then the grand- 
mamma arrived and dismounted from the horse. Heidi 
ran to her and was embraced with great tenderness. 
Then the grandmamma turned toward the Aim-Uncle, 
who had come to welcome her. There was no formality 
in their greeting, for she knew him and he knew her 
as well as if they had been acquainted for a long time. 


290 


HEIDI : 


As soon as the first words of greeting had been said, 
the grandmamma exclaimed with great enthusiasm : — 

“ My dear uncle, what a splendid situation you have ! 
Who would have believed it ! Many a king might envy 
you ! How well my Heidi looks! Like a little June 
rose ! ” she continued, drawing the child to her and 
stroking her fresh cheeks. “ How glorious it is every- 
where all about ! What do you say, Klarchen, my 
child ; what do you say ? ” 

Klara was looking around her perfectly enchanted ; 
she had never seen anything, never imagined anything 
like it in all her life. 

“ Oh, how beautiful it is here ! Oh, how beautiful 
it is here ! ” she exclaimed again and again. “ I never 
imagined it. Oh, grandmamma, I should like to stay 
here ! ” 

Meanwhile the uncle had pushed along the wheel 
chair, taken some shawls out of the basket, and arranged 
them in it. Then he stepped up to the sedan chair. 

“ If we should put the little daughter in her accus- 
tomed chair now, it would be better for her ; the travel- 
ing chair is a little hard,” he said ; and without waiting 
for any one to assist him, at once lifted the little invalid 
gently in his strong arms out of the straw chair and 
placed her with the greatest care in the soft seat. 
Then he laid the shawls over her knees and wrapped her 
feet as comfortably on the cushion as if he had done 
nothing else all his life but care for invalids who could 
not use their limbs. The grandmamma looked at him 
in the greatest astonishment. 


DISTANT FRIENDS HEARD FROM. 


291 


Then she exclaimed : — 

“ My dear uncle, if I knew where you learned to care 
for the sick, I would send all the nurses I know there 
to take lessons. How is it possible ? ” 

The uncle smiled a little. “ It comes more from 
experience than from study,” he replied ; but in spite 
of the smile a look of sadness came over his face. Out 
of the remote past before his eyes rose the suffering 
face of a man who used to sit wrapped up in a chair 
just like this, and was so crippled that he could hardly 
use a limb. It was his captain, whom he had found 
lying on the ground after a fierce battle in Sicily, 
and had carried off the field ; and from that time the 
captain would allow no other nurse around him, and 
would never let him out of his sight, until his great 
sufferings came to an end. The uncle saw his sick 
friend before him again ; his only thought now was 
that it would be his duty to care for sick Klara and 
show her all those comforting attentions he under- 
stood so well. 

The sky spread deep blue and cloudless above the 
hut and the fir trees and high above the lofty cliffs which 
towered up so gray and sparkling. Klara could not look 
around enough ; she was perfectly fascinated with all 
that she saw. 

“ Oh, Heidi, if I could only go around with you, about 
the. hut and under the fir trees! ” she exclaimed long- 
ingly. “ If I could go with you to look at all the things 
I have heard so much about and have n’t yet seen ! ” 

Then Heidi made a great effort and succeeded in 


292 


HEIDI. 


rolling the chair smoothly over the dry, grassy ground 
under the fir trees. Here she paused. Klara had 
never seen anything in her life like the tall old fir trees 
whose long, wide-spreading branches grew down to the 
ground and became larger and thicker there. The 
grandmamma, who had followed the children, also stood 
still in great admiration. She could not tell which was 
the more beautiful, the full roaring tops of the ancient 
trees, high up in the blue sky, or their straight, strong 
trunks, which with their mighty branches could tell of 
so many, many years while they had been standing 
there and looking down into the valley where men came 
and went and everything else was constantly changing, 
but they always remained the same. 

Meanwhile, Heidi pushed the wheel chair in front of 
the goat-shed and opened the little door wide, so that 
Klara could see everything inside. There was really 
not much to see now, for the goats were not at home. 
Klara called back quite regretfully : — 

“ Oh, grandmamma, if I could just wait for Schwanli 
and Barli and all the other goats, and Peter! I can 
never see them all if we always have to go away as 
early as you said ; it is such a shame ! ” 

“Dear child, we will enjoy all the beautiful things 
that are here, and not think about those that are want- 
ing,” was the grandmamma’s advice, as she followed 
the chair, which Heidi was now pushing back. 

“ Oh, the flowers ! ” exclaimed Klara ; “whole bushes 
of fine red flowers, and all the nodding bluebells ! Oh, 
if I could only go and get some ! ” 


DISTANT FRIENDS HEARD FROM. 


293 


Heidi immediately ran and brought back to her a 
great bunch of them. 

“But this is nothing, Klara,” she said, laying the 
flowers in her lap. “ If you could come up to the pas- 
ture with us once, then you would see something ! In 
one place there are so many, many bushes of red cen- 
tauries and ever so many more bluebells than here, and 
so many thousand bright yellow wild roses that it 
looks as if the ground was shining with pure gold. 
And then there are some with large leaves, which my 
grandfather says are called heliopsis, and, besides, the 
brown ones, you know, with little round heads, which 
smell so good, — and it is so beautiful! If you once 
sit down there, you can never get up again, it is so 
lovely ! ” 

Heidi’s eyes sparkled with longing to see what she 
described, and Klara was so excited by it that out of 
her gentle blue eyes there shone a complete reflection 
of Heidi’s fiery enthusiasm. 

“ Oh, grandmamma, can I go up there ? Do you think 
I could go so high ? ” she asked eagerly. “ Oh, if I 
could only go, Heidi, and climb around everywhere on 
the mountain with you ! ” 

“ I will push you,” said Heidi soothingly; and to show 
how easily it went she took such a run around the cor- 
ner that the chair almost ran away from her down the 
mountain. But her grandfather was standing near and 
stopped its course just in time. 

During their visit to the fir trees the grandfather had 
not been idle. The table and necessary chairs were 


294 


HEIDI. 


standing by the bench in front of the hut and every- 
thing was ready ; the good dinner was still steaming 
in the kettle and roasting on the big fork over the 
fire inside the hut. It was not long before the grand- 
father had everything on the table and^ the whole com- 
pany sat down gladly to the meal. 

The grandmamma was perfectly enchanted at this 
dining-room, from which one could see far, far down into 
the valley and above all the mountains into the blue 
sky. A cool, mild breeze gently fanned the faces of the 
guests and rustled as pleasantly in the fir trees as if it 
had been especially ordered music for the feast. 

“ Nothing like this has ever happened to me. It is 
really glorious!” exclaimed the grandmamma again 
and again. “ But what do I see ? ” she added in the 
greatest surprise. “ I believe you are taking a second 
piece of toasted cheese, Klarchen ! ” 

Sure enough, a second golden shining piece of cheese 
lay on Klara’s slice of bread. 

“ Oh, it tasted so good, grandmamma, — better than 
everything on the table at Ragatz,” asserted Klara, 
taking the appetizing dish with great relish. 

“ Eat away ! Eat away ! ” said the Aim-Uncle, well 
pleased. “ It is our mountain air, which succeeds when 
the cook fails.” 

So the happy meal went on. The grandmamma and 
the Aim-Uncle took a great liking to each other, and 
their conversation became more and more lively. They 
agreed in all their opinions about men and things and 
the progress of the world as well as if they had been 


DISTANT FRIENDS HEARD FROM. 


295 


friends for years. Thus the time passed until the 
grandmamma suddenly looked toward the west and 
said : — 

“ We must soon be getting ready, Klarchen ; the sun 
is already going down ; the people will be back with 
the horse and the chair.” 

Immediately an expression of sadness came over 
Klara’s happy face and she asked urgently: — 

“ Oh, grandmamma, just one hour more, or two ! We 
haven’t seen the hut yet, or Heidi’s bed and all their 
other arrangements. Oh, if the day were only ten hours 
longer ! ” 

“That is not possible,” said the grandmamma; but 
she too wanted to see the hut. So they rose at once 
from the table, and the uncle directed the chair with 
steady hand to the door. But here it would go no 
farther ; the chair was much too wide to go through the 
opening. The uncle did not stop long to consider. He 
lifted Klara out and carried her in his strong arms into 
the hut. 

The grandmamma went back and forth looking care- 
fully at all the furnishings, and was greatly amused 
at the domestic contrivances which were so prettily 
arranged and well ordered. 

“ That is surely your bed up above there, Heidi, is 
it not ? ” she then asked, and straightway, without any 
timidity, climbed the little ladder leading to the hayloft. 

“ Oh, how sweet it smells ! It must be a healthful 
sleeping room ! ” and the grandmamma went to the 
window and peeped through. 


296 


HEIDI. 


The grandfather followed with Klara in his arms, and 
Heidi came on behind. 

They then all stood around Heidi’s beautifully made 
hay bed, and the grandmamma looked at it quite crit- 
ically, every now and then drawing in with delight 
deep breaths of the spicy fragrance of the new hay. 
Klara was perfectly charmed with Heidi’s sleeping 
place. 

“ Oh, Heidi, what a jolly place you have here ! From 
your bed you can see straight out into the sky, and 
you have such a lovely odor around you, and you can 
hear the fir trees roar outside. Oh, I have never seen 
such a jolly, pleasant sleeping room before ! ” 

The uncle then looked over at the grandmamma. 

“I have an idea,” he said, “if your grandmamma 
will listen to me and not be opposed to the plan. I 
think if we could keep the daughter up here a little 
while she would gain new strength. You have brought 
so many shawls and wraps out of which we could 
arrange an entirely separate soft bed, and your grand- 
mamma need have no anxiety about the care of the 
little daughter ; that I will undertake myself.” 

Klara and Heidi both shouted with joy like two 
escaped birds, and the grandmamma’s face lighted up 
with sunshine. 

“ My dear uncle, you are a wonderful man ! ” she 
exclaimed. “ How did you know what I was just 
thinking about ? I was saying to myself: ‘Wouldn’t a 
stay up here give the child especial strength ? But the 
nursing ! the care ! the inconvenience to the host ! ’ 


DISTANT FRIENDS HEARD FROM. 


297 


And here you spoke of it as if it would be nothing at 
all. I must thank you, my dear uncle, I must thank you 
with my whole heart ! ” and the grandmamma shook 
the uncle’s hand again and again, and the uncle also 
shook hers with great delight. 

The uncle immediately began to carry out his plan. 
He carried Klara back to her chair in front of the hut ; 
Heidi followed, not knowing how high she wanted to 
jump in her delight. Then he piled up all the shawls 
and fur robes in his arms and said, smiling with satis- 
faction : — 

“ It is a good thing that grandmamma brought enough 
things for a winter campaign ; we can use them.” 

“My dear uncle,” she replied, approaching briskly, 
“foresight is an excellent virtue, and protection from 
many an evil. If one escapes storm and wind and vio- 
lent rains in traveling over your mountains, one may be 
thankful ; and so we are, and my wraps may be useful 
yet ; about that we are agreed.” 

During this little conversation the two climbed up 
to the hayloft and began to spread the shawls, one 
after another, over the bed. There were so many that 
the bed finally looked like a little fortress. 

“ Now let a single wisp of hay stick through if it 
can,” said the grandmamma, while she pressed her hand 
on all sides ; but the soft wall was so impenetrable that 
nothing really could stick through. Then she climbed 
down the ladder quite satisfied and went out to the 
children, who were sitting close together with beaming 
faces, and planning what they would do from morning 


298 


HEIDI. 


till night, as long as Klara stayed on the mountain. 
But how long would that be ? That was now the great 
question, which was at once laid before the grand- 
mamma. She said the grandfather knew best about 
that ; they must ask him. As he happened along just 
then the question was put to him, and he said he 
thought that in about four weeks it would be safe to 
judge whether the mountain air would do its duty by 
the little daughter or not. Then the children shouted 
aloud, for the prospect of being together so long sur- 
passed all their expectations. 

The porters with the chair and the guide with the 
horse were now seen coming up the mountain. The 
first were allowed to turn around again immediately. 

When the grandmamma was preparing to mount the 
horse, Klara exclaimed cheerfully : — 

“ Oh, grandmamma, we won’t say farewell, if you are 
going away, for you will come back every little while to 
visit us on the mountain, to see what we are doing ; and 
that will be so delightful, won’t it, Heidi ? ” 

Heidi, who had had one pleasure after another that 
day, could only express her assent by jumping high with 
delight. 

Then the grandmamma mounted the steady beast, 
and the uncle took the bridle and led the horse safely 
down the steep mountain. Although the grandmamma 
tried not to have him go so far, it was of no use ; the 
uncle explained that he was anxious to accompany her 
as far as Dorfli, for the mountain was so steep and the 
ride not free from danger. 


D/STAJVT FRIENDS HEARD FROM. 


299 


The grandmamma thought that now she was by her- 
self she would not stay in Dorfli, where it was lonely. 
She would return to Ragatz and take the journey up 
the mountain occasionally from there. 

Before the uncle returned, Peter came along with 
his goats. When they noticed Heidi they all rushed 
toward her ; in a moment Klara in her chair, together 
with Heidi, was in the midst of the flock, and some 
one goat was always crowding and pushing to see over 
another, and each was immediately called and presented 
by Heidi to Klara. 

So it happened that in a very short time Klara had 
made the long-wished-for acquaintance with Schnee- 
hopli, the jolly Distelfinck, the grandfather’s clean goats, 
and all the rest, up to the big Tiirk. But Peter mean- 
while stood aside and threw occasional threatening 
glances at happy Klara. 

When the children both called out pleasantly to him : 
“ Good-night, Peter ! ” he made no reply, but raised 
his rod angrily in the air, as if he would like to beat 
them to pieces. Then he ran away, with his followers 
after him. 

Now came an end to all the lovely things Klara had 
seen that day on the mountain. 

When she lay on her great soft bed in the hayloft, 
to which Heidi had also climbed, she looked through 
the round, open window, out at the twinkling stars, and, 
completely charmed, exclaimed : — 

“Oh, Heidi, see, it is just as if we were riding in the 
sky in a high carriage ! ” 


300 


HEIDI. 


“Yes, and do you know why the stars are so full of 
joy, and wink at us so with their eyes? ” asked Heidi. 

“No, I don’t know; what do you think about it? ” 
asked Klara. 

“ Because they see up in heaven how well the dear 
Lord directs everything for people, so that they need 
have no anxiety and can be safe, because everything 
will happen for the best. That delights them so ; see 
how they wink, that we may be happy too ! But do 
you know, Klara, we must not forget our prayers ; we 
must ask the dear Lord to think of us, when he is 
directing everything so well, that we may always be 
safe and never be afraid of anything.” 

So the children sat up in bed and said their evening 
prayer. Then Heidi laid her head on her round arm 
and was asleep in a moment. But Klara stayed awake 
for a long time, for she had never seen anything so 
wonderful in her life as this sleeping room in the star- 
light. 

Moreover she had hardly ever seen the stars, for she 
never went outside the house at night, and indoors the 
thick curtains were drawn long before the stars came 
out. Now whenever she closed her eyes she had to 
open them again once more to see if the two big bright 
stars were still shining in and winking as remarkably 
as Heidi had said. And it was always so, and Klara 
could not look enough at their twinkling and sparkling, 
until at last her eyes closed of themselves, and in her 
dreams she still saw the two big shining stars. 


CHAPTER VII. 


WHAT FURTHER HAPPENED ON THE MOUNTAIN. 

The sun was just coming up behind the crags and 
casting its golden beams over the hut and down across 
the valley. The Aim-Uncle had been silently and at- 
tentively watching, as he did every morning, how all 
around on the heights and in the valley the light mists 
were lifting, and the landscape appeared out of the twi- 
light shadows and awoke to the new day. 

Brighter and brighter grew the light morning clouds 
until the sun came out in all its glory, and rocks and 
woods and hilltops were bathed in the golden light. 

Then the uncle went back into his hut and climbed 
softly up the little ladder. Klara had just awakened, 
and was gazingin the greatest amazement at the bright 
sunbeams, which came in through the round window 
and glanced and danced on her bed. She did not know 
what she was looking at or where she was. Then she 
looked at Heidi, sleeping beside her, and then the 
grandfather’s friendly voice sounded, asking : — 

“ Did you sleep well ? Are you tired ? ” 

Klara assured him that she was not tired, and that 
after she was once asleep she did not wake up again all 
night. This pleased the grandfather, and he immedi- 
ately set to work and cared for Klara as well and under- 

301 


302 


HEIDI. 


standingly as if it had always been his profession to 
care for sick children and make them comfortable. 

By this time Heidi had opened her eyes and was 
surprised to see that her grandfather had already fin- 
ished Klara’s toilet and was carrying her away in his 
arms. She felt that she must be with them: She 
dressed as quick as lightning ; then went down the lad- 
der and was out at the door and stood looking in the 
greatest surprise at what her grandfather had been 
doing further. The evening before, when the children 
had gone to bed in the loft, he had planned how to 
bring the wide rolling chair under cover. The door of 
the hut was much too small to allow it to enter. Then 
a thought came to him. Behind the shop he loosened 
two large boards and thus formed a wide opening. 
The chair was pushed in, and then the planks were put 
back in their places, though they were not fastened. 

Heidi came along just as her grandfather was putting 
Klara in her chair, for he had taken away the boards and 
was coming out of the shop with her into the morning 
sunshine. He left the chair standing in a safe place 
and went to the goat-shed. Heidi ran to Klara’s side. 

The cool morning breeze blew around the children’s 
faces, and the spicy fragrance from the fir trees came 
down with every new gust of wind. Klara drew in 
deep breaths and leaned back in her chair with a feel- 
ing of health such as she had never known before. 

Never in her life had she breathed in the fresh morn- 
ing air outdoors under the open sky, and now the pure 
mountain breeze blew around her so cool and refresh- 


WHAT HAPPENED ON THE MOUNTAIN. 303 

in g that every breath was a pleasure. And then there 
was the bright, sweet sunshine, which was not at all 
hot up there, and lay so lovely and warm on her hands and 
on the dry, grassy earth at her feet. Klara had never 
imagined that it could be like this on the mountain. 

“ Oh, Heidi, if only I could always, always stay up 
here with you ! she said, turning with delight first one 
way and then another in her chair, to take in the air 
and sunshine from every side. 

“ Now you see that is just as I told you,” replied 
Heidi, much pleased: “that here at my grandfather’s 
on the Aim is the loveliest spot in the whole world.” 

Just then the grandfather came out of the shed to 
the children. He brought two bowls full of foaming, 
snow-white milk, and handed one to Klara and the 
other to Heidi. 

“This will do the little daughter good,” he said, 
nodding to Klara ; “ it is from Schwanli and will make 
you strong. To your good health ! Drink away ! ” 

Klara had never tasted goat’s milk, so she had to 
smell of it a little first, to see what it was like. But 
when she saw how eagerly Heidi drank down her milk 
without stopping once, — it tasted so wonderfully good 
to her, — then Klara began and drank and drank, and 
really it was as sweet and nourishing as if there were 
sugar and cinnamon in it, and Klara drank until there 
was nothing left in the bowl. 

“ To-morrow we will take two,” said the grandfather, 
who was well satisfied to see how Klara followed 
Heidi’s example. 


304 


HEIDI. 


Peter now appeared with his flock, and while Heidi 
was surrounded by the goats, giving their morning 
greeting on every hand, the uncle took Peter aside 



that he might hear what he had to say to him, for the 
goats kept up a great bleating, each one trying to outdo 
the other in expressing its delight and affection, as 
soon as Heidi was with them. 


WHAT HAPPENED ON THE MOUNTAIN. 


305 


“Now listen and mind,” said the uncle. “From 
to-day on let Schwanli do as she likes. She knows 
where the best feed is ; so if she wants to go up, follow 
her. It will be good for the others too ; and if she wants 
to go higher than you usually go with her, follow on 
and don’t keep her back — do you hear ? If you have to 
climb a little, it won’t do any harm ; go wherever she 
likes, for in this respect she has more sense than you, 
and she must have the very best feed, so that she will 
give splendid milk. Why are you looking ov.er there 
as if you would like to swallow somebody? No one is 
in your way. There, now, go on, and remember what 
I have told you ! ” 

Peter was accustomed to follow the uncle’s orders. 
He immediately started along ; but it was plain to be 
seen that something disturbed him, for he kept turning 
his head and rolling his eyes. The goats followed and 
pushed Heidi along with them for a little distance. 
Peter approved of this. 

“You must come too,” he called out threateningly; 
“you must come too, if I have to go after Schwanli.” 

“No, I cannot,” Heidi called back; “and I cannot 
come with you for a long, long time, as long as Klara 
is with us. But grandfather has promised that some 
day we may come up together.” 

With these words Heidi had torn herself away from 
the goats and now ran back to Klara. Then Peter 
shook both fists so threateningly toward the wheel 
chair that the goats sprang to one side ; but he at once 
sprang after them and, without stopping, went on up a 


306 


HEIDT. 


long distance until he was out of sight, for he thought 
the uncle might have seen him, and he preferred not to 
know what sort of an impression his gestures made on 
the uncle. 

Klara and Heidi had planned so much for that day 
that they did not know where to begin. Heidi proposed 
to write a letter to the grandmamma, for the good lady 
for her part was not perfectly sure that it would please 
Klara up there for any length of time, or indeed be 
good fqr her health ; so she had made the children 
promise to write her a letter every day, and to tell her 
everything that happened. In this way the grand- 
mamma would know when she was needed on the Aim, 
and until then could stay quietly where she was. 

“ Must we go into the house to write ? ” asked Klara, 
who was willing to send a report to her grandmamma, 
but it was so pleasant outdoors that she did not want to 
go in. 

Heidi knew how to manage. In a twinkling she ran 
into the hut and came back laden with all her school 
materials and a three-legged stool. She laid her reader 
and writing book in Klara’s lap, so that she could write 
on them, and seated herself on the little stool by the 
bench, and then they began to tell the grandmamma 
what had happened. But after every sentence she 
wrote Klara had to lay her pencil down and look around 
her. It was quite too lovely ! The wind was no longer 
so cool as it had been ; it hovered around their faces, 
gently fanning them, and whispered softly up in the fir 
trees. Merry little insects danced and hummed in the 


WHAT HAPPENED ON THE MOUNTAIN 


307 


clear air, and a great stillness lay over all the sunny 
landscape. The lofty, rocky peaks looked down so big 
and still, and the whole wide valley below lay wrapt in 
quiet peacefulness. Only now and then the merry 
shouts of some shepherd boy sounded through the air, 
and the echo gave back the tones softly from the crags. 

The morning passed, the children knew not how, 
and the grandfather came with the steaming bowls, for 
he said they must stay outdoors with the little daughter 
as long as there was a ray of light in the sky. So the 
dinner, as on the previous day, was placed before 
the hut and taken with enjoyment. Then Heidi rolled 
Klara in her chair out under the fir trees, for the chil- 
dren had decided that they would spend the afternoon 
sitting in the lovely shade and tell each other what 
had happened since Heidi left Frankfurt. Although 
everything had gone on in the usual way, still Klara 
had all sorts of things to tell about the people whom 
Heidi knew so well, living in the Sesemann house. 

So the children sat together under the old fir trees, 
and the more eagerly they talked the louder whistled 
the birds up in the branches, for the chatting below 
pleased them and they were anxious to take part in it. 
Thus the time passed and before they knew it evening 
had come, and the army of goats came rushing down, 
their leader behind them, with wrinkled brow and anger 
in his manner. 

“ Good-night, Peter ! ” Heidi called out to him, when 
she saw that he had no idea of stopping. 

“ Good-night, Peter! ” called out Klara pleasantly. 


308 


HEIDI ; 


He gave no reply and, angrily snorting, drove on the 
goats. 

When Klara saw the grandfather lead pretty Schwanli 
to the stall to be milked, she was all at once seized with 
such a longing for the spicy milk that she could hardly 
wait until he came out with it. She was surprised at 
herself. 

“It is very strange, Heidi,” she said; “as long as I 
can remember, I have eaten only because I had to, and 
everything I took tasted like cod-liver oil, and I have 
thought a thousand times : ‘ If only I never had to eat !’ 
and now I can hardly wait until your grandfather comes 
with the milk.” 

“Yes, I know what that is,” replied Heidi quite 
understanding^, for she thought of the day in Frank- 
furt when everything stuck in her throat and would not 
go down. But Klara could not see how it was. In all 
her life long she had never eaten outdoors in the fresh 
air, as she had done to-day, and never in this high, 
invigorating mountain air. 

When the grandfather came with his little bowls, 
Klara seized hers quickly, thanking him for it, drank 
it eagerly, and this time finished before Heidi. 

“ May I have a little more ? ” she asked, holding out 
her bowl to the grandfather. 

He nodded, much pleased, took Heidi’s bowl also, and 
went back to the hut. When he came out again, he 
brought with each bowl a thick cover, made of different 
material from what covers are usually made. 

In the afternoon the grandfather had taken a walk 


WHAT HAPPENED ON THE MOUNTAIN. 


309 


to the green Maiensass to the cow-keeper’s hut where 
they made sweet, bright, yellow butter. He had brought 
home from there a lovely round ball. Now he had 
taken two nice slices of bread and spread them thick 
with the sweet butter. These the children were now 
going to have for their supper. Both immediately took 
such deep bites of the appetizing slices that the grand- 
father stood still to see them continue, for it pleased 
him. 

Later, when Klara was again gazing at the sparkling 
stars from her bed, she followed Heidi’s example ; her 
eyes closed immediately, and such a sound, healthful 
sleep came over her as she had never known before. 

The following day passed in the same delightful way, 
and also the next, and then came a great surprise for 
the children. Two strong porters came climbing up 
the mountain, each one carrying on his back a high 
bed, all arranged in the bedstead, both covered exactly 
alike with a white coverlet, clean and brand-new. The 
men also brought a letter from the grandmamma. It 
said that these beds were for Klara and Heidi, that the 
hay beds were to be taken away, and that from this 
time on Heidi must sleep in a regular bed. In the 
winter one of them must be sent down to Dorfli, but 
the other was to remain up there, so that Klara would 
always find it, if she came back. Then the grand- 
mamma praised the children on account of their long 
letters and urged them to continue writing every day, 
so that she might always know everything about them 
as if, well — as if she were with them. 


310 


HEIDI ; 


The grandfather went into the hut, threw the con- 
tents of Heidi’s bed on the big heap of hay, and laid 
away the covers. Then he came back to help the men 
carry the two beds up into the loft. He pushed them 
close together so that , the view through the window 
might be the same from both pillows, for he knew what 
delight the children took in the morning and evening 
light coming in there. 

Meanwhile the grandmamma stayed down in Ragatz 
and was highly delighted with the excellent reports 
which reached her every day from the Aim. 

Klara became more and more charmed with her new 
life, and she could not say enough about the grand- 
father’s kindness and thoughtful care of her, and how 
merry and amusing Heidi was, — much more so than in 
Frankfurt, — and how every morning her first thought 
when she awoke was : — 

“Oh, praise the Lord ; I am still on the Aim ! ” 

This remarkably delightful news was a fresh joy to 
the grandmamma every day. She found also that under 
the circumstances she could defer her visit to the Aim 
a little longer, which she was not sorry for, since the 
ride up the steep mountain and down again was rather 
difficult for her. 

The grandfather must have felt a remarkable interest 
in his little charge, for not a day passed when he did 
not think of something new to strengthen her. Every 
afternoon now he took a walk up among the rocks, 
higher and higher, and every time he brought back a 
little bundle, which scented the air for a long distance 


WHAT HAPPENED ON THE MOUNTAIN 


311 


like spicy pinks and thyme, and attracted the goats at 
evening, so that they all began to bleat and leap and 
tried to push all together into the shed where the plants 
lay, for they knew the odor well. But the uncle had 
made the door fast, because he had not climbed high up 
on the rocks after the rare plants, that the whole crowd 
of goats might get a good meal without any trouble. 
The herbs were all intended for Schwanli, that she 
might give still richer milk. It was plain to see how 
this extraordinary care affected her, for she tossed her 
head in the air more and more vigorously, and, besides, 
her eyes flashed fire. 

It was now the third week since Klara had come up 
on the mountain. For several days when the grand- 
father had brought her down in the morning to place 
her in her chair, he had said : — 

“ Will the little daughter not try just once to stand 
on the ground a moment ? ” 

Klara had tried to do as he wished, but had always 
said immediately : “ Oh, it hurts me so ! ” and had 
clung fast to him ; but each day he had let her try a 
little longer. 

Such a beautiful summer had not been seen on the 
Aim for many years. Every day the beaming sun 
shone in a cloudless sky and all the little flowers opened 
their chalices wide and gleamed and sent their fragrance 
up to it, and at evening it threw its purple and rosy 
light over the rocky peaks and across the snow fields 
and then disappeared in a blazing sea of gold. 

Heidi told her friend Klara about it all again and 


312 


HEIDI. 


again, for it could only be seen properly up in the pas- 
ture, and she was especially enthusiastic about the place 
up on the slope where there were great quantities of 
shining, golden wild roses, and so many bluebells that 
one would think the grass was blue, and near by great 
bushes full of little brown flowers which smell so lovely 
that one has to sit down on the ground among them 
and never wants to leave them. Sitting under the fir 
trees, Heidi had just been telling again about the flowers 
up there and the sunset and the fiery rocks, and then 
such a longing seized her to go up there again that 
she suddenly jumped up and ran to her grandfather, 
who was sitting in his shop carving. 

“ Oh, grandfather,” she called out before she was 
at all near him, “ will you come with us up to the pas- 
ture to-morrow ? It is so lovely up there now ! ” 

“ I will agree to it,” said the grandfather in assent ; 
“ but the little daughter must also do me a favor : she 
must try again hard this evening to stand.” 

Heidi came back, shouting for joy, with her news to 
Klara ; and Klara promised to try to stand on her feet 
as many times as the grandfather wished, for she was 
immensely delighted to take this journey up to the 
beautiful goat pasture. Heidi was so full of joy that 
she called out to Peter as soon as she saw him coming 
down that evening : — 

“ Peter ! Peter ! we are coming up with you to-mor- 
row, to stay all day.” 

In reply Peter growled like an angry bear and struck 
out furiously at the innocent Distelfinck, trotting along 


WHAT HAPPENED ON THE MOUNTAIN. 


313 


beside him. But the alert Distelfinck had noticed the 
movement at the right time. He made a leap high over 
Schneehopli and the blow whizzed in the air. 

Klara and Heidi went up to their two beautiful beds 
with great expectations, and they were so full of their 
plans for the next day that they decided to stay awake 
all night and to talk about them until they could get up 
again. But scarcely had they lain down on their soft 
pillows when their talk suddenly ceased and Klara saw 
before her in a dream a great big field, which looked 
as blue as the sky, it was so thickly studded with bright 
bluebells ; and Heidi heard the robber-bird up in the 
air screaming down : “ Come ! come ! come ! ” 


CHAPTER VIII. 


SOMETHING UNEXPECTED HAPPENS. 

Very early the next morning the uncle came out of 
the hut and looked around to see what the day was 
going to be. 

On the lofty mountain peaks lay a reddish-golden 
light ; a cool breeze was beginning to rock the branches 
of the fir trees to and fro ; the sun was coming up. 

For a while the old man stood earnestly watching 
how, after the high mountain tops, the green hills began 
to shine golden, and then the dark shadows gently 
faded away from the valley and a rosy light flowed in, 
and both heights and depths gleamed in the morning 
gold. The sun was up. 

Then the uncle brought the wheel chair out of the 
shop, placed it ready for the journey in front of the hut, 
and afterwards went in to tell the children how beauti- 
ful the morning had dawned, and to bring them out. 

Just then Peter came climbing up the mountain. 
His goats did not come as trustfully as usual by his 
side, and close in front of him and behind, up the moun- 
tain, they sprang timidly around here and there, for 
Peter kept striking about him without any occasion, like 
a madman ; and wherever he hit he hurt. Peter had 
reached the highest point of anger and bitterness. 

3*4 


SOMETHING UNEXPECTED HAPPENS. 


315 


For weeks he had not had Heidi to himself, as usual. 
When he came up in the morning, the strange child had 
always been brought out in her chair, and Heidi was 
occupied with her. When he came down at evening, 
the wheel chair with its occupant was still standing 
under the fir trees, and Heidi was busy doing some- 
thing for her. She had not been up to the pasture all 
summer long, and now to-day she was coming, but with 
the chair and the stranger in it, and would devote her- 
self to her the whole time. Peter saw how it would be, 
and it had brought his secret anger to a climax. He 
noticed the chair standing there so proudly on its 
wheels, and looked at it as if it were an enemy which 
had done him all sorts of harm, and to-day was going 
to do still more. 

Peter looked around him ; everything was still, not 
a person was to be seen. Then, as if he were crazy, he 
rushed at the chair, seized it and pushed it with such 
force, in his anger, toward the slope of the mountain 
that it actually started away and in a moment had dis- 
appeared. 

Then Peter rushed up the Aim as if he had wings, 
and did not once stop until he had reached a great 
blackberry bush, behind which he could hide, for he 
was not anxious to have the uncle catch sight of him. 
But he wanted to see what became of the chair, and 
the bush was favorably situated on a projection of the 
mountain. Partly concealed, Peter could look down 
the Aim, and if the uncle appeared he could quickly 
hide himself. This he did, and what a sight met his 


316 


HEIDI. 


eyes ! His enemy had already gone rushing far below, 
driven on faster and faster ; then it turned over again 
and again ; then it bounded up in the air and fell down 
on the ground again, and went rolling over and over to 
its destruction. 

Pieces were flying away from it in every direction — 
feet, cushions, back, all thrown high in the air. Peter 
took such furious delight in the sight that he jumped 
high with both feet together ; he laughed aloud, he 
stamped with joy, he leaped around in circles, he kept 
coming back to the same spot and looking down the 
mountain. He burst out into fresh laughter and danced 
anew for joy. He was completely beside himself with 
delight at the ruin of his enemy, for he saw good things 
in prospect for him. Now the strange child would 
have to go away, for she had no means of moving about. 
Heidi would be alone again and come up to the pasture 
with him, and in the morning and at evening she would 
be there when he came, and everything would be as it 
was before. But Peter did not consider what it meant 
when one has begun to do a wicked deed, or what the 
consequences may be. 

Heidi came jumping out of the hut and ran to the 
shop. Her grandfather followed her with Klara in his 
arms. The shop door stood wide open; both boards 
had been taken away, so that it was as light as day 
in the farthest corner. Heidi looked all about, ran 
around the corner, and came back again with the great- 
est amazement in her face. Just then her grandfather 
came along. 


SOMETHING UNEXPECTED HAPPENS. 


317 


“ What is it ? Have you rolled the chair away, 
Heidi ? ” he asked. 

“ I have looked for it everywhere, grandfather, and 
you said it was standing by the shop door,” said the 
child, still looking in every direction. 

Meanwhile the wind had grown stronger ; it rattled 
around the shop door and suddenly threw it with a 
crash back against the wall. 

“ Grandfather, the wind has done it ! ” exclaimed 
Heidi ; and her eyes flashed at the suggestion. “ Oh, 
if it has blown the chair down to Dorfli, it will be too 
late before we can get it back, and we can’t go at all.” 

“ If it has rolled down there, it will never come back, 
for it is in a hundred pieces,” said her grandfather, 
stepping around the corner and looking down the 
mountain. “ It is singular how it happened,” he added 
as he looked back at the distance, for the chair had to 
go around the corner of the hut first. 

“ Oh, what a shame ! we can’t go now, and perhaps 
never,” bewailed Klara; “now I shall really have to 
go home, for I haven’t any chair. Oh, what a shame ! 
What a shame ! ” 

But Heidi looked quite trustfully up at her grand- 
father and said : — 

“ Surely, grandfather, you can find a way, so that it 
won’t be as Klara thinks, and that she won’t have to 
go home right off ? ” 

“We will go up to the pasture this time as we 
intended ; then we will see what will happen next,” 
said the grandfather. 


318 


HEIDI, 


The children shouted for joy. 

He went back into the hut, brought out a good num- 
ber of wraps, laid them in the sunniest place near the 
hut, and set Klara down on them. Then he brought 
the children their morning milk and led Schwanli and 
Barli out of the shed. 

“Why is he so long coming up this morning ?” said 
the uncle to himself, for Peter’s whistle had not yet 
sounded. 

The grandfather then took Klara up with one arm 
and the wraps with the other. 

“There, now, forward ! ” he said, starting along ; “the 
goats may come with us.” 

This pleased Heidi. With one arm around Schwanli’s 
neck and the other around Barli’s, Heidi followed after 
her grandfather ; and the goats were so delighted to go 
again with Heidi that out of pure affection they almost 
squeezed her to death between them. 

When they reached the pasture, all at once they saw 
the goats standing in groups, peacefully grazing here 
and there on the slopes, and Peter lying at full length 
in the midst of them. 

“Another time I will cure you of passing us by, 
sleepy-head ; what did you mean ? ” the uncle called out 
to him. 

Peter jumped up at the sound of the well-known 
voice. 

“Nobody was up,” he replied. 

“ Did you see anything of the chair ? ” asked the 
uncle again. 


SOMETHING UNEXPECTED HAPPENS. 


319 


“ Of what ? ” said Peter crossly, in reply. 

The uncle said nothing more. He spread the shawls 
out on the sunny slope, placed Klara on them, and 
asked if she was comfortable. 

“As comfortable as in my chair,” she said, thanking 
him ; “ and I am in the most beautiful place. It is so 
beautiful here, HeidC so beautiful ! ” she exclaimed, 
looking all about her. 

The grandfather started to go back. He said they 
ought to enjoy themselves together now, and when it 
was time Heidi must bring out the dinner, which he 
had left packed in the bag, over in the shade. Then 
Peter would give them as much milk as they wanted to 
drink, but Heidi must take good care that it came from 
Schwanli. Toward evening the grandfather would re- 
turn ; now he wanted above all to go after the chair 
and see what had become of it. 

The sky was deep blue, and not a single cloud was 
to be seen anywhere. The great snow field beyond 
them sparkled like thousands and thousands of gold 
and silver stars. The gray rocky peaks stood high and 
steadfast in their places, as they had done for ages, 
looking down solemnly into the valley below. The 
great bird rocked himself up in the blue, and the moun- 
tain wind passed over the heights and blew cool around 
the sunny Aim. The children were indescribably happy. 
Now and then a little goat would come and lie down 
by them for a while ; the affectionate Schneehopli 
came most frequently and laid her little head against 
Heidi, and would not have gone away at all if another 


320 


HEIDI ; 


one of the flock had not driven her off. Thus Klara 
learned to know the goats so well that she never mis- 
took one for another, for each had a quite different 
face and peculiar manner. 

They now felt so familiar with Klara that they came 
quite near and rubbed their heads against her shoulder ; 
this was always a sign of friendship and affection. 

Several hours had passed in this way, when it occurred 
to Heidi that she would like to go over to the place 
where there were so many flowers, and see if they 
were all open and as beautiful as they were the year 
before. 

When her grandfather came back at evening they 
might go there with Klara, but perhaps the flowers 
would already have their eyes closed then. Heidi’s long- 
ing kept increasing until she could resist it no longer. 
So she asked a little timidly : — 

“ Would you be angry, Klara, if I should run away 
very fast and leave you alone ? I should so much like 
to see how the flowers are ; but wait ” — a thought 
came to Heidi. She jumped aside and pulled up some 
beautiful bunches of green plants ; Schneehopli im- 
mediately came running toward her, and she took her 
around the neck and led her to Klara. 

“ There, you must not be left alone,” said Heidi, 
pushing Schneehopli to a place a little nearer Klara. 
This the goat understood very well and lay down. 
Then Heidi threw the leaves into Klara’s lap, and she 
said, much delighted, that Heidi must go now and take 
a good look at the flowers ; she was perfectly willing 


SOMETHING UNEXPECTED HAPPENS . 


321 


to stay alone with the goat ; it was something she had 
never done before. 

Heidi ran away and Klara began to hold out one leaf 
after another for Schneehopli ; and the goat was so tame 
that she nestled up to her new friend and ate the 
leaves slowly out of her fingers. One could easily see 
how contented she was, that she dared to lie so quietly 
and peacefully in this place of refuge, for outside with 
the flock she always had to endure a great deal of per- 
secution from the big, strong goats. How delightful 
it seemed to Klara to sit in this way, all alone on a 
mountain, with only a little trusting goat looking up 
at her so helplessly. A great desire arose in her to 
become her own master and be able to help some one 
else and not always be obliged to take help from others. 
And so many thoughts which she had never had before 
came to Klara, and a strange desire to live on in the 
beautiful sunshine and do something to give pleasure 
to some one as she was now pleasing Schneehopli. 
An entirely new joy came into her heart, and it seemed 
as if everything she knew might be much more beauti- 
ful and different from what she had ever seen before ; 
and she felt so contented and happy that she had to 
throw her arms around the goat’s neck and exclaim : — 

“ Oh, Schneehopli, how beautiful it is up here ; if I 
only could stay here always with you ! ” 

Meanwhile Heidi had reached the place where the 
flowers were. She screamed with delight. The whole 
slope lay covered with shining gold. They were the 
bright rock roses. Thick, deep clusters of bluebells 


322 


HEIDI. 


nodded above them, and a strong spicy odor filled the air 
about the sunny spot, as if cups of the most precious 
balsam were poured out up there. All the fragrance, 
however, came from the little brown blossoms which 
stretched up their round heads modestly here and there 
between the golden flower-cups. Heidi stood and 
looked and drew in long breaths of the sweet air. 
Suddenly she turned around and came panting with 
excitement back to Klara. 

“ Oh, you really must come,” she called out before 
she had reached her; “they are so beautiful, and 
everything is so beautiful, and perhaps by evening it 
won’t be so any longer. Perhaps I can carry you ; 
don’t you think I could ? ” 

Klara looked at the excited Heidi in surprise ; she 
shook her head. 

“ No, no ; what are you thinking about, Heidi ? you 
are ever so much smaller than I. Oh, if I only could 
walk ! ” 

Then Heidi looked all around her trying to think of 
some new plan. Up where he had been lying on the 
ground Peter still sat staring down at the children. 
He had been sitting thus for hours, always gazing down, 
as if he could not realize what he saw. He had 
destroyed the hated chair that he might make an end 
of it all, and so that the stranger might not be able to 
move ; and a short time after she appeared up there and 
was sitting before him on the ground next to Heidi. 
It could not be possible, and yet it was true, and when- 
ever he chose he could see that it was so. 


SOMETHING UNEXPECTED HAPPENS . 


323 


Heidi looked up at him. 

“ Come down here, Peter ! ” she called very decid- 
edly. 

“ Shan’t come,” he called back. 

“ But you must ! Come, I can’t do it alone, and 
you must help me ; come quick ! ” urged Heidi. 

“Shan’t come,” he replied again. 

Then Heidi ran a little way up the mountain toward 
him. 

She stood there with flashing eyes and called out : — 

“ Peter, if you don’t come here at once, I will do 
something to you that you won’t like at all ; you can 
believe what I say ! ” 

These words stabbed Peter, and he was seized with 
great fear. He had done something wicked which no 
one must know. Until now it had delighted him; but 
Heidi spoke as if she knew all about it, and would tell 
her grandfather everything she knew, and Peter was 
more afraid of him than any one else. If he should 
hear what had become of the chair ! Peter’s distress 
choked him worse and worse. He rose and came 
toward Heidi, who was waiting for him. 

“ I am coming, but then you must n’t do it,” he said, 
so subdued with fright that Heidi was quite touched. 

“No, no, I will not do it now,” she said assuringly ; 
“ only come with me ; there is nothing to be afraid of 
in what I want you to do.” 

When they reached Klara, Heidi began to give orders. 
Peter was to take Klara firmly under one arm and Heidi 
take her under the other, and then they would lift her 


324 


HEIDI. 


up. This went quite well, but then came the difficulty. 
Klara could not stand; how could they hold her and 
get her along ? Heidi was too small to support her with 
her arm. 

“You must put your arm around my neck now very 
firmly — so. And you must take Peter’s arm and lean 
on it hard ; then we can carry you.” 

But Peter had never given any one his arm before. 
Klara took it all right, but he held it stiffly down by 
his side like a long stick. 

“That is not the way to do, Peter,” said Heidi very 
decidedly. “You must make a ring with your arm, 
and then Klara must put hers through it, and she must 
lean on it very hard, and you must n’t let go at any 
price ; then we can move along.” 

This was done, but they did not make much progress. 
Klara was not so light, and the others were too unlike 
in size ; one side went up and the other down, making 
the support uncertain. 

Klara tried to bear weight on her feet a little, but 
she could not move them forward. 

“Just stamp right down,” suggested Heidi, “then it 
will hurt you less afterwards.” 

“ Do you think so ? ” said Klara timidly. 

But she obeyed and ventured to take one firm step 
on the ground and then another ; but it made her give 
a little scream. Then she lifted one foot again and 
put it down more carefully. 

“ Oh, that did n’t hurt nearly so much,” she said, full 
of delight. 


SOMETHING UNEXPECTED HAPPENS. 


325 


“ Do it once more,” urged Heidi eagerly. 

Klara did so, and then again and again, and suddenly 
she cried out : — 

“ I can, Heidi ! Oh, I can ! See ! see ! I can take 
steps, one after another.” 

Then Heidi shouted still louder. 

“ Oh, oh ! Can you really step yourself ? Can you 
walk now ? Can you really walk yourself ? Oh, if 


only grandfather would come ! Now you can walk, 
now you can walk ! ” she exclaimed again and again in 
triumphant delight. 

Klara leaned on both of them, but with each step 
she gained a little more confidence, as all three could 
see. Heidi was quite beside herself with delight. 

“ Oh, now, we can come up to the pasture together 



326 


HEIDI. 


every day and go wherever we please on the mountain ! ” 
she exclaimed again ; “ and you can go about as I do all 
the rest of your life, and never be pushed in a chair, and 
be well. Oh, this is the greatest joy we could have ! ” 

Klara agreed with all her heart. Surely she could 
have no greater fortune in the world than to be well 
and be able to go about like other people, and not be 
miserably condemned to sit all day long in an invalid 
chair. 

It was not far to the slope where the flowers grew. 
They could already see the gleam of the golden roses 
in the sun. Then they came to the clusters of blue- 
bells where the sunny ground showed through so invit- 
ingly. 

“ Can’t we sit down here ? ” asked Klara. 

It was just what Heidi wished to do, and the children 
sat down in the midst of the flowers, Klara for the first 
time on the dry mountain ground ; this pleased her more 
than she could tell. All around them the nodding 
bluebells, the shining golden roses, the red centauries, 
and everywhere the sweet fragrance of the brown blos- 
soms and the spicy wild plum. Everything was so 
lovely — so lovely ! 

Heidi, too, as she sat next her, thought it had never 
been so beautiful up there before, and she did not know 
why she felt such joy in her heart, so that she had to 
keep shouting aloud. But suddenly it occurred to her 
that Klara had been made well ; this was a far greater 
joy than all the beauty around them. Klara was per- 
fectly silent ; she was so delighted and fascinated with 


SOMETHING UNEXPECTED HAPPENS. 327 

everything she saw, and with the prospect the experi- 
ence she had just had presented to her. There was 
hardly any room in her heart for the great fortune; 
and the sunshine and fragrance of the flowers, besides, 
overpowered her with a feeling of joy which made her 
quite speechless. 

Peter lay silent also and motionless in the midst of 
this field of flowers, for he was almost asleep. The 
wind blew down softly and caressingly behind the pro- 
tecting rocks and whispered up in the bushes. Now 
and then Heidi had to get up and run about, for there 
was always some place still more beautiful, where the 
flowers were thicker, the fragrance stronger, because 
the wind blew it here and there ; she had to sit down 
everywhere. 

Thus the hours fled away. 

The sun was long past midday when a troop of goats 
came walking quite gravely up to the flower field. It 
was not their pasturage ; they had never been brought 
there before ; they did not like to graze among the 
flowers. They looked like an embassy with Distelfinck 
ahead. The goats had evidently come to look for their 
companions who had left them so long in the lurch and 
stayed away beyond all rules, for the goats knew the 
time well. When Distelfinck spied the three missing 
ones in the flower field he began to bleat loudly, 
and immediately all the others joined in a chorus and 
came along making a great noise. Then Peter woke 
up. But he had to rub his eyes hard, for he had been 
^dreaming that the wheel chair was standing again, all 


328 


HEIDI. 


upholstered in red and unharmed, in front of the hut, 
and now that he was awake he still saw the gold nails 
in the upholstery shine in the sun ; but quickly he dis- 
covered that they were only the yellow, glistening 
flowers on the ground. Then Peter’s distress, which 
had entirely disappeared at sight of the uninjured chair, 
came back to him. Although Heidi had promised not 
to do anything, yet Peter grew very much afraid that 
what he had done might be found out. He was very 
meek and willing to be the guide and do everything 
exactly as Heidi wished. 

When they had all three come back to the pasture, 
Heidi quickly brought out her well-filled dinner bag 
and set about keeping her promise, for her threat had 
reference to the contents of the bag. She had espe- 
cially noticed in the morning what good things her 
grandfather put in, and had been pleased to think that 
a good part of it would fall to Peter’s share. But when 
Peter was so disagreeable, she wanted to make him 
understand that he would not have what otherwise had 
been intended for him. Heidi took piece after piece 
out of the bag and made three little heaps of them, 
which were so high that she said to herself with satis- 
faction : “ Then he will have all that we leave.” 

Then she gave a little pile to each one and sat down 
beside Klara with her own, and the children thoroughly 
enjoyed their dinner after their great exertion. 

It happened just as Heidi expected; when they both 
were satisfied, there was still so much left that they 
gave Peter another pile as large as the first. He ate 


SOMETHING UNEXPECTED HAPPENS. 


329 


it all silently without stopping, even to the crumbs, 
but he accomplished his work without the usual sat- 
isfaction. Something lay in Peter’s stomach which 
gnawed and choked him and squeezed him at every 
mouthful. 

The children had returned so late to their dinner 
that immediately after the grandfather was seen coming 
up the Aim to get them. Heidi rushed to meet him ; 
she had to tell him first of all what had happened. 
She was so excited over her good news that she could 
hardly find words to tell her grandfather ; but he 
understood at once what the child meant, and his face 
lighted up with joy. He hastened his steps, and when 
he reached Klara, said, smiling gladly : — 

“ So you ventured and you have really succeeded ! ” 

Then he lifted Klara from the ground, put his left 
arm around her, and held out his right as a strong sup- 
port for her hand, and Klara walked, in this way, even 
more surely and less timidly than before. 

Heidi shouted and danced around, and her grand- 
father looked as if some great good fortune had come 
to him. But he suddenly took Klara in his arms and 
said : — 

“ We will not overdo it ; it is time now to go home.” 
And he started on the way at once, for he knew that 
Klara had made enough exertion for that day and that 
she needed rest. 

When Peter with his goats came down late that 
evening to Dorfli, a crowd of people were standing 
together, pushing each other this way and that to get 


330 


HEIDI. 


a better view of what lay in their midst. Peter had to 
see too ; he pushed and squeezed right and left and 
made his way through. 

Then he saw what it was. 

On the grass lay the middle part of the wheel chair 
with a portion of the back still hanging to it. The red 
upholstery and the bright nails still showed how splen- 
did it had looked when it was perfect. 

“I was here when it came down,” said the baker, 
who was standing next to Peter ; “ it was worth at least 
five hundred francs. I ’ll wager that with any one. 
But it ’s a wonder to me how it happened.” 

“ The wind must have brought it down ; the uncle 
said so himself,” remarked Barbel, who could not ad- 
mire the handsome red material enough. 

“ It is a good thing that it was n’t any one else who 
did it,” said the baker again ; “he would be in a fine 
fix. If the gentleman in Frankfurt hears of it, he will 
try to find out how it happened. As for me, I am glad 
that I have n’t been upon the Aim for two years ; sus- 
picion- may fall on any one who was seen up there at 
that time.” 

A good many other opinions were expressed, but 
Peter had heard enough. He crept quite meekly and 
softly out of the crowd and ran with all his might up 
the mountain, as if some one were after him to catch 
him. The baker’s words had given him a terrible 
scare. He felt sure that at any moment an officer from 
Frankfurt might come to look into the matter, and 
then he might find out that he had done it, and he 


SOMETHING UNEXPECTED HAPPENS. 331 

would seize him and take him to the house of correc- 
tion in Frankfurt. Peter saw this before him and his 
hair stood on end from fear. 

He came home very much distressed. He would 
make no reply to any remark and would not eat his 
potatoes ; he crept hurriedly into bed and groaned. 

“ Peterli has been eating sorrel again ; he has some 
in his stomach that makes him groan so,” said his 
mother, Brigitte. 

“ You must give him a little more bread to take with 
him ; give him a piece of mine to-morrow,” said the 
grandmother compassionately. 


When the children that night looked up from their 
beds at the starlight, Heidi said : — 

“ Have n’t you been thinking all day long to-day how 
good it is that the dear Lord does n’t give us what we 
pray so terribly hard for, when He knows of something 
much better ? ” 

“ Why do you say that now, Heidi ? ” asked Klara. 

“ Don’t you know, because I prayed so hard in 
Frankfurt that I might go home right away, and 
because I couldn’t go, I thought the dear Lord had 
not heard me. But, do you know, if I had gone right 
away, you would never have come up on the mountain, 
and you would n’t have got well.” 

Klara became quite thoughtful. 

“ But, Heidi,” she began again, “then we ought not 
to pray for anything, because the dear Lord certainly 


332 


HEIDI. 


has always something better in mind than we know 
and ask him for.” 

“ Oh, Klara, do you really.think so ? ” Heidi hastened 
to say. “ We ought to pray to the dear Lord every day, 
and about every single thing ; for then He will know 
that we do not forget that we receive everything from 
Him. And if we forget the dear Lord, He will forget 
us too ; your grandmamma told me that. But, you 
know, if we do not receive what we would like, we 
must not think the dear Lord has not listened, and 
stop praying, but we must pray like this : ‘Now I know, 
dear Lord, that you have something better in store, 
and I will be glad that you will be so good to me.’ ” 

“ How did you find out all this, Heidi ? ” asked 
Klara. 

“Your grandmamma explained it to me first, and 
then it happened exactly so, and then I knew it. But 
I think, Klara,” Heidi continued, sitting up, “ that to- 
night we ought really to thank the dear Lord heartily, 
because He has sent us the great good fortune that you 
are able to walk now.” 

“Yes, indeed, Heidi; you are right, and I am glad 
that you reminded me. I was so delighted I almost 
forgot it.” 

Then the children prayed, and each thanked the dear 
Lord in her own way for sending such a wonderful 
blessing to Klara, who had been ill so long. 

The next morning the grandfather thought they 
could write the grandmamma that if she would come 
up on the Aim there would be something new for her 


SOMETHING UNEXPECTED HAPPENS. 


333 


to see. But the children had another plan. They 
wanted to give the grandmamma a great surprise. 
First, Klara was to learn to walk better, so that she 
could go a little way with only Heidi’s support ; but 
the grandmamma must not have the least supicion of 
it. The grandfather must decide how long it would 
take, and as he thought that it would not take more 
than a week, in the next letter they would give her an 
urgent invitation to come up on the mountain at the 
end of that time ; but not a word must be said to her 
about anything new. 

The days which followed were by far the most beau- 
tiful which Klara had passed on the Aim. Every 
morning she awoke with these delightful words in 
her mind : — 

“ I am well ! I am well ! I do not need to sit in a 
wheel chair any longer ; I can go about by myself like 
other people ! ” 

Then followed the walking; and every day she went 
more easily and better, and was able to take longer walks. 
The exercise caused such an appetite that the grand- 
father made her thick slices of bread and butter larger 
and was well pleased to see them disappear. He always 
brought with them a large pot of foaming milk and 
filled bowl after bowl with it. The end of the week 
came and with it the day that was to bring the 
grandmamma ! 


CHAPTER IX. 


PARTING TO MEET AGAIN. 

A day before her arrival the grandmamma had 
written a letter and sent it up to the Aim, that they 
might know there exactly when she was coming. Peter 
brought this letter with him early the next day, as he 
was going up to the pasture. The grandfather had 
already come out of the hut with the children, and 
Schwanli and Barli were both standing outside, gayly 
shaking their heads in the cool morning air, while the 
children stroked them and wished them a pleasant 
journey up the mountain. The uncle stood by and 
looked first at the children’s fresh faces, and then at 
his clean, sleek goats. Both must have pleased him, 
for he smiled with satisfaction. 

Then Peter came along. When he saw the group 
he approached slowly, handed the letter to the uncle, 
and as soon as he had taken it from him he ran tim- 
idly back as if something had frightened him ; then he 
looked quickly behind him, exactly as if something else 
was going to frighten him ; then he gave a leap and 
ran up the mountain. 

“ Grandfather,” said Heidi, who had been watching 
Peter in surprise, “why does Peter act like the big 
Turk when he feels the rod behind him ; he ducks his 
334 


PARTING TO MEET AGAIN. 


335 


head and shakes himself all over and makes sudden 
leaps in the air.” 

“ Perhaps Peter feels that there is a rod behind him 
too, and knows he deserves it,” answered her grand- 
father. 

It was only the first slope that Peter ran up without 
stopping ; as soon as he could no longer be seen from 
below, it was different. Then he stood still and turned 
his head timidly in every direction ; suddenly he leaped 
into the air and looked behind him, as frightened as if 
some one had ju§t seized him by the nape of the neck. 
From behind every bush and out of every thicket Peter 
thought he saw a policeman from Frankfurt rushing 
out at him. The longer this anxious expectation lasted, 
the more terrible it became to Peter, so that now he 
had not a moment’s peace. 

Heidi had the hut to put in order, for the grand- 
mamma must find everything tidy when she came. 

Klara always found this busy cleaning in every cor- 
ner of the hut so interesting that she was very glad to 
watch Heidi at work. 

So the early morning hours passed before the chil- 
dren were aware of it, and the grandmamma might be 
expected to arrive at any moment. 

Then the children came out again, all ready to wel- 
come her, and sat down together on the bench in front 
of the hut, full of expectation. 

The grandfather also joined them ; he had taken a 
walk and had brought home a great bunch of deep-blue 
gentians, which looked so lovely in the bright morning 


336 


HEIDI. 


sun that the children shouted for joy when they saw 
them. The grandfather took them into the hut. Every 
little while Heidi jumped up from the bench to look 
and see whether she could catch sight of the grand- 
mamma’s party. 

At last Heidi saw exactly what she had been expect- 
ing coming up from below. First came the guide, 
then the white horse with the grandmamma on it, and 
last the porter with the deep basket on his back, for 
the grandmamma would never think of coming up on 
the mountain without plenty of wraps. 

Nearer and nearer they came. Then the top was 
reached ; the grandmamma looked down at the children 
from her horse. 

“What is that? What do I see, Klarchen? You 
are not sitting in your chair ! How is that possible ? ” 
she exclaimed in alarm and dismounted hastily. But 
before she had reached the children she clapped her 
hands and exclaimed in the greatest excitement : — 

“Klarchen, is it you or is it not ? You really have 
red cheeks, as round as an apple ! Child ! I don’t 
know you any longer ! ” 

Then the grandmamma was going to rush at Klara ; 
but Heidi had slipped unnoticed from the bench, and 
Klara quickly leaned on her shoulders, and the children 
started away quite calmly to take a little walk. The 
grandmamma suddenly stood still, first from fear, for 
she thought nothing else but that Heidi was trying to 
do something rash. 

But what did she see before her ! 


PARTING TO MEET AGAIN 


337 


Klara was walking upright and safely beside Heidi ; 
then they came back again, both with beaming faces, 
both with rosy cheeks. 

Then the grandmamma rushed toward them. Laugh- 
ing and crying, she embraced Klara, then Heidi and then 
Klara again. In her delight she could find no words. 

Suddenly she caught sight of the uncle, who was 
standing by the bench and smiling with satisfaction as 
he watched the three. Then she seized Klara’s arm 
and with continual exclamations of delight that it was 
really true that she could walk around with the child, 
went to the bench. Here she let Klara go and grasped 
both of the old man’s hands. 

“ My dear uncle ! My dear uncle ! What have we 
to thank you for ! It is your work ! It is your care 
and nursing ” — 

“ And our Lord’s sunshine and mountain air,” inter- 
rupted the uncle, smiling. 

“Yes, and Schwanli’s lovely, good milk, too,” added 
Klara. “ Grandmamma, you ought to know how I can 
drink the goat’s milk, and how good it is ! ” 

“ I can see that by your cheeks, Klarchen,” said her 
grandmamma, laughing. “No, no one would ever 
know you ; you have grown round and broad, as I 
never dreamed you could be, and you are tall, Klarchen ! 
Is it really true ? I cannot look at you enough ! I 
must send a telegram at once to my son in Paris ; he 
must come immediately. I will not tell him why ; it 
will be the greatest joy of his life. My dear uncle, how 
can it be done ? Have you sent the men away already? ” 


338 


HEIDI. 


“They have gone,” he replied; “but if the grand- 
mamma is in haste, we can send down the goatherd, 
who has time.” 

The grandmamma insisted upon sending a despatch 
at once to her son, for this good fortune must not be 
kept from him a single day. 

So the uncle went a little way aside and gave such a 
penetrating whistle through his fingers that it whistled 
back from the rocks above, it had wakened the echo so 
far away. It was not long before Peter came running 
down, for he knew the whistle well. Peter was white 
as chalk, for he thought the Aim-Uncle was calling him 
to judgment. A paper which the grandmamma had 
written meanwhile was then given to him, and the 
uncle explained that he was to carry it immediately 
down into Dorfli and to give it to the postmaster ; the 
uncle would pay for it later himself, for Peter could not 
be intrusted with so many things at once. 

He went along with the paper in his hand, much 
relieved for this time, as the uncle had not whistled to 
call him to account, and no policeman had come. 

At last they were able to sit down quietly together 
around the table in front of the hut, and then the 
grandmamma had to be told how it had all happened 
from the beginning ; how at first the grandfather had 
tried to have Klara stand and then take steps, then 
how they had taken the journey up to the pasture and 
the wind had rolled away the chair ; how Klara’s 
eagerness to see the flowers had brought about her first 
walk, and so one thing grew out of another. But it 


PARTING TO MEET AGAIN 339 

was a long time before the children finished their story, 
for every little while the grandmamma had to break 
forth in amazement and in praise and thankfulness, and 
exclaimed again and again : — 

“ Is it really possible ? Is it then really no dream ? 
Are we all awake and sitting here in front of the Aim 
hut, and is the little girl before me, with the round, 
fresh face, my old, pale, weak Klarchen ? ” 

Klara and Heidi were in a constant state of delight 
because their beautifully planned surprise had suc- 
ceeded so well with the grandmamma. 

Meanwhile Herr Sesemann had finished his business 
in Paris and had also been preparing a surprise. With- 
out writing a word to his mother, he took the train one 
sunny summer morning and went directly through to 
Basle, leaving there early the following day, for he was 
seized with a great longing to see his little daughter 
again, having been separated from her the whole sum- 
mer long. He reached Ragatz a few hours after his 
mother had left there. 

He found that she had that very day started to go 
up the mountain. So he immediately took a carriage 
and drove to Mayenfeld. When he learned there that 
he could drive on to Dorfli he did so, for he thought it 
would be far enough to have to walk up the mountain. 

Herr Sesemann was not mistaken ; the uninterrupted 
climbing up the mountain was very tiresome and hard 
for him. No hut appeared in sight, and he knew that 
he ought to come to goatherd Peter’s dwelling halfway 
up, for he had often heard about this journey. 


340 


HEIDI. 


There were footpaths leading in all directions. Herr 
Sesemann was not sure that he was on the right 
path or whether the hut might not perhaps lie on the 
other side of the mountain. He looked around him, 
to see if he could discover any human being whom he 
could ask about the way. But it was silent all around ; 
far and wide there was nothing to be seen, nothing to 
be heard. Only the mountain wind blew now and then 
through the air, and the little flies buzzed in the sun- 
shine, and a merry bird piped here and there on a 
lonely larch tree. Herr Sesemann stood still for a 
while and let the mountain breeze cool his heated 
brow. 

Just then some one came running down from above; 
it was Peter with the despatch in his hand. He was 
running straight ahead, down the steep places, paying 
no attention to the footpath where Herr Sesemann 
stood. As soon as the boy came near enough, Herr 
Sesemann beckoned for him to come to him. Peter 
came trembling and frightened, sideways, not straight 
forward, and as if he could only advance properly with 
one foot and had to drag the other after him. 

“Here, youngster, brace up! ” said Herr Sesemann 
encouragingly. 

“ Now tell me if this path will bring me up to the 
hut, where the old man lives with the child Heidi, 
where the people from Frankfurt are.” 

A dull sound of the greatest terror was the answer, 
and Peter darted away with such bounds that he rushed 
heels over head down the steep mountain-side, and 


PARTING TO MEET AGAIN 


341 


rolled away, turning somersaults farther and farther, 
very nearly as the wheel chair had done, except that 
fortunately Peter did not go to pieces, like the chair. 

Only the despatch was badly treated and torn to 
shreds. 

“A remarkably bashful mountaineer,” said Herr 
Seseman-n to himself, for he supposed that the appear- 
ance of a stranger had produced this strong impression 
on the simple son of the Alps. 

After watching Peter’s violent descent for a little, 
Herr Sesemann continued his way. 

In spite of all his efforts Peter could not reach a 
place of safety; he kept rolling on, and from time to 
time turned somersaults in the strangest fashion. 

But this was not the most frightful side of his mis- 
fortune at this moment ; far more frightful were the 
anxiety and the terror which filled him, for he was sure 
now that the policeman from Frankfurt had really 
come. He had no doubt that the stranger who had 
asked for the people from Frankfurt at the Aim-Uncle’s 
was the very one. Finally, on the last high slope above 
Dorfli, Peter rolled against a bush to which he could 
cling fast. He lay still there for a moment, for he had 
to first think what had happened to him. 

“Very good, here’s another one,” said a voice hard 
by Peter. “ And who is going to catch it to-morrow 
for sending you down like a badly sewed potato 
sack ? ” 

It was the baker, who was making fun of him. To 
amuse himself a little up there after his hot day’s work, 


342 


HEIDI. 


he had been quietly watching Peter as he came down 
the mountain very much as the wheel chair had done. 

Peter jumped to his feet. New fear seized him. 
Now the baker must know that the chair had been 
pushed. Without looking back once, Peter ran up the 
mountain again. 

He would have preferred to go home now and creep 
into his bed, so that no one could find him, for he felt 
safest there. But he had left the goats up in the pas- 
ture, and the uncle had impressed it upon him to come 
back soon, that the flock might not be alone too long. 
He feared the uncle more than any one else, and had 
such respect for him that he had never dared to disobey 
him. Peter groaned aloud and limped on, for it must 
be ; he was obliged to go back up the mountain again. 
But he could not run any longer ; his anxiety and the 
many knocks that he had received could not fail to 
affect him. So he went on limping and groaning up 
the Aim. 

Herr Sesemann had reached the first hut shortly after 
meeting Peter, and knew then that he was on the right 
path. He climbed on with renewed zeal and at last, 
after long, tiresome exertion, he saw his goal before 
him. There stood the Aim hut and the dark branches 
of the old fir trees swaying above it. 

Herr Sesemann climbed the last part of the way with 
delight, for he was soon to surprise his child. But the 
father had already been seen and recognized by the 
company in front of the hut, and something was in 
store for him which he had never suspected. 


PARTING TO MEET AGAIN 


343 


When he had taken the last step up the mountain, two 
forms came toward him from the hut. A tall young 
girl with light yellow hair and rosy face, leaning on 
little Heidi, whose dark eyes sparkled with the keenest 



delight. Herr Sesemann stopped short ; he stood still 
and gazed at the approaching children. Suddenly big 
tears rushed from his eyes. What memories arose in 
his heart ! Exactly so had Klara’s mother looked, a 
blonde maiden with cheeks slightly tinged with red. 


344 


HEIDI. 


Herr Sesemann did not know whether he was awake 
or dreaming. 

“ Papa, don’t you know me any longer ? ” called out 
Klara to him, while her face beamed with delight. 
“ Am I so changed ? ” 

Herr Sesemann rushed toward his little daughter and 
folded her in his arms. 

“ Yes, you are changed ! Is it possible ? Is it really 
so ? ” 

And the overjoyed father stepped back again to see 
whether the picture would not disappear before his 
eyes. 

“ Is it you, Klarchen, is it really you ? ” he had to 
exclaim again and again. He folded his child in his 
arms once more, and then he had to look again to 
see whether it really was Klara standing erect before 
him. 

Then the grandmamma came out, for she could not 
wait any longer to see her son’s happy face. 

“Well, my dear son, what do you say now?” she 
called out to him. “ The surprise which you have given 
us is very lovely, but the one prepared for you is still 
lovelier, is it not ? ” And the delighted mother greeted 
her dear son with great affection. 

“But now, my dear,” she then said, “come with me 
over there to see the uncle, who is our greatest bene- 
factor.” 

“ Certainly, and our little companion, our little Heidi, 
I must greet also,” said Herr Sesemann as he shook 
Heidi’s hand. “ Well ? Always fresh and well on the 


PARTING TO MEET AGAIN 


345 


mountain ? But I don’t need to ask ; no Alpine rose 
could be more blooming. This is a joy to me, child; 
this is a great joy to me ! ” 

Heidi looked with beaming eyes at the kind Herr 
Sesemann. How good he had always been to her ! 
And that now he should find such a joy here on the 
mountain made Heidi’s heart beat loud with delight. 

Then the grandmamma took her son to the Alm- 
Uncle, and while the two men were shaking hands 
very heartily, and Herr Sesemann was beginning to 
express his deep-felt thanks and his boundless astonish- 
ment that such a wonderful thing could happen, the 
grandmamma turned and went a little way in the other 
direction, for she had already talked the matter over. 
She wanted to look at the old fir trees again. * 

Here there was another surprise awaiting her. Under 
the fir trees, where the long branches had left a free 
space, stood a great bunch of wonderful deep-blue gen- 
tians, as fresh and shining as if they had grown there. 
The grandmamma clapped her hands with delight. 

“ How exquisite ! How wonderful ! What a sight !” 
she exclaimed again and again. “ Heidi, my dear child, 
come here ! Did you bring these here to please me ? 
They are perfectly wonderful ! ” 

The children were already there. 

“ No, no, I really did not,” said Heidi ; “ but I know 
who did.” 

“ It is like that up in the pasture, grandmamma, and 
even more beautiful,” said Klara. “But just guess 
who brought the flowers down from the pasture for you 


346 


HEIDI. 


early this morning ! ” and Klara smiled with so much 
satisfaction at what she had said that for a moment it 
occurred to her grandmamma that the child had really 
been up there herself that day. But that was almost 
impossible. 

A gentle rustling was then heard behind the fir trees ; 
it came from Peter, who had come back in the mean 
time. When he saw who was standing in front of the 
hut with the uncle, he went a long way round and was 
going to slip very stealthily behind the fir trees. But 
the grandmamma caught sight of him, and a new 
thought suddenly came to her. Had Peter brought 
down the flowers, and was he creeping away now so 
stealthily from sheer timidity and modesty ? No, that 
must not be ; he should have a little reward. 

“ Come, my lad, come here quickly, and don’t be 
afraid ! ” the grandmamma called loudly, putting her 
head a little way between the trees. 

Petrified with fear, Peter stood still. He had not the 
strength to resist anything more that might happen. 
This was what he felt : “ Now it is all up ! ” His hair 
stood on end, and with a pale face, distorted by the 
greatest anguish, Peter stepped out from behind the 
fir trees. 

u Come right straight here,” said the grandmamma 
encouragingly. “ There, now tell me, my boy, if you 
did this.” 

Peter did not lift his eyes, and did not see where the 
grandmamma’s finger was pointing. He had noticed 
that the uncle was standing by the corner of the hut, 


PARTING TO MEET AGAIN 


347 


and that his penetrating gray eyes were fastened on 
him, and that next the uncle stood the most terrible 
person Peter knew, the policeman from Frankfurt. 
Trembling in every limb, Peter stammered forth one 
single sound ; it was a “ Yes.” 

“There now,” said the grandmamma, “what is there 
to be frightened about ? ” 

“ Because — because — because it is broken to pieces 
and can never be made whole again.” Peter brought 
these words out with difficulty ; and his knees shook so 
that he could hardly stand. The grandmamma went 
along to the corner of the hut. 

“ My dear uncle, is the poor boy really out of his 
mind ? ” she asked sympathetically. 

“Not in the least, not in the least,” asserted the 
uncle; “the boy is the wind that blew away the wheel 
chair, and now he is expecting the punishment, which 
he well deserves.” 

The grandmamma could not believe this, for she did 
not think Peter looked in the very least wicked, and 
besides he had no reason to destroy the wheel chair, 
which was so much needed. But this confession only 
confirmed the uncle in a suspicion which had been 
aroused in him immediately after the occurrence. 

The angry looks which Peter had cast at Klara from 
the very first, and other signs of a bitter feeling toward 
the newcomer on the mountain had not escaped the 
uncle. He had put one thought with another, and so 
he had felt sure enough of the way things had gone and 
explained it all very clearly now to the grandmamma. 


348 


HEIDI. 


When he had finished, the lady burst out in great 
excitement : — 

“ No, no, my dear uncle ; no, no, we will not punish 
the poor fellow any further. One must be just. Strange 
people came here from Frankfurt and for long weeks 
together took away Heidi, his pnly good, and really a 
great good for him, and he sits alone there day after 
day, looking for her. No, one must be just ; anger 
overpowered him and drove him to revenge, which was 
rather foolish ; but in our anger we are all foolish.” 

Whereupon the grandmamma went back to Peter, 
who was still trembling and shaking. 

She sat down on the bench under the fir tree and 
said kindly : — 

“ There, now come here, my boy, to me ; I have 
something to say to you. Stop trembling and shaking 
and listen to me ; this you must do. You sent the 
wheel chair down the mountain, in order to smash it. 
That was a wicked deed, and you knew it very well, 
and you also knew that you deserved a punishment, 
and in order not to receive one, you have had to try 
very hard not to let any one know what you have done. 
But you see, whoever does a wicked thing and thinks 
no one knows about it is always mistaken. The dear 
Lord sees and hears everything, and as soon as he 
notices that a person wants to conceal his wicked deed 
he quickly awakens a little watchman, that was placed 
in him at his birth, and that sleeps in him until the 
person does something wrong. And the little watch- 
man has a little goad in his hand with which he contin- 


PARTING TO MEET AGAIN. 


349 


ually pricks the person so that he has no rest for a 
moment. And with his voice he also torments him 
further, by constantly calling to him in a torturing 
way : ‘ It will all come out ! You are going to be pun- 
ished ! ’ So he lives in continual fear and trembling, 
and is no longer happy, not a bit. Have you not had 
such an experience as this just now, Peter? ” 

Peter nodded penitently, and as one who knew, for 
it had happened to him exactly so. 

“ And in one way you were disappointed,” continued 
the grandmamma. “ See how the wrong that you did 
turned out for the best, for the one you wished to 
harm ! Because Klara no longer had a chair to be 
carried in, and yet wanted to see the beautiful flowers, 
she made a very great effort to walk, and so learned 
how and now keeps improving; and if she stays here 
she will at last be able to go up to the pasture every 
day, much oftener than if she were taken in her chair. 
Do you understand, Peter ? So when one wishes to do 
a wicked thing, the dear Lord can take it quickly into 
his own hands and turn it into good for the one who 
was to be harmed ; and the scoundrel has his trouble 
for nothing and injures himself. 

“ Have you understood everything well, Peter ? 
Then think of it; and every time you desire to do 
something wicked, think of the little watchman within 
you, with his good and his disagreeable voice. Will 
you do that ? ” 

“ Yes, I will,” answered Peter, very much impressed, 
for he did not yet know how everything would end, 


350 


HEIDI. 


since the policeman was still standing over there by 
the uncle. 

“ That is good, the matter is settled,” said the grand- 
mamma in conclusion. “ But now you ought to have 
something you like to remember the people from 
Frankfurt by. Tell me, my boy, is there something 
you have wished to have ? What was it ? What would 
you like to have best ? ” 

Peter then lifted his head and stared at the grand- 
mamma with his round, astonished eyes. He was 
still expecting something frightful, and now he was 
suddenly to have whatever he liked best. Peter’s 
thoughts were all in confusion. 

“Yes, yes, I am in earnest,” said the grandmamma. 
“You shall have something which you will like as a 
remembrance of the people from Frankfurt, and 
as a token that they will think no more about the 
wrong that you did. Do you understand, now, 
boy ? ” 

It began to dawn on Peter that he had no punishment 
to fear now, and that the good lady sitting before him 
had rescued him from the power of the policeman. 
Then he felt as relieved as if a mountain which was 
almost crushing him had been taken away from him. 
He also understood now that it is better to confess 
one’s faults, and he at once said : — 

“ And I lost the paper, too.” 

The grandmamma had to reflect a little, but she soon 
remembered and said kindly : — 

“ There, that is right to tell me about it ! Always 


PARTING TO MEET AGAIN 


351 


confess what is wrong, then it will be settled. Now 
what would you like to have ? ” 

Now Peter could choose anything in the world that 
he would like to have. It almost made him dizzy. 
The whole fair at Mayenfeld came before his eyes, 
with all the beautiful things which he had often looked 
at for hours and had thought he could never have, for 
Peter’s possessions had never gone beyond five pfen- 
nigs, and such alluring objects always cost double that 
amount. There were the lovely red whistles, which 
he could use so well for his goats. There were the 
fascinating round-handled knives called toad-stickers, 
with which he could do a thriving business in all the 
hazel-rod hedges. 

Peter stood deep in thought, for he was considering 
which of the 'two were the most desirable, and he could 
not decide. Then a bright idea came to him ; by this 
means he could think it over until the next fair. 

“Ten pfennigs,” replied Peter decidedly. 

The grandmamma laughed a little. 

“ That is not extravagant. So come here ! ” She 
then opened her purse and took out a great, round 
thaler; on it she laid two ten-pfennig pieces. 

“There, we will count it out exactly,” she continued ; 
“ I will explain it to you. Here you have just as many 
ten-pfennig pieces as there are weeks in the year ! So 
you can take one out every Sunday to use the whole 
year through.” 

“ All my life long ? ” asked Peter quite innocently. 

Then the grandmamma had such a fit of laughter 


352 


HEIDI. 


that the gentlemen yonder had to stop talking to hear 
what was going on there. 

The grandmamma kept on laughing. 

“You shall have it, my boy; I will put it in my 
will — do you hear, my son ? And then it will be 
handed over to you ; thus : To goatherd Peter a ten- 
pfennig piece weekly, as long as he lives.” 

Herr Sesemann nodded in assent and laughed too at 
the idea. 

Peter looked again at the present in his hand, to see 
if it was really true. Then he said : “ Thank God ! ” 

And he ran away, making extraordinary leaps ; but 
this time he stayed on his feet, for now he was not 
driven by fear but by a delight such as he had never 
known before in all his life. All his anguish and fear 
had disappeared, and he could expect ten pfennigs 
every week all his life long. 

Later when the company in front of the Aim hut 
had ended their happy midday meal and were still 
sitting together talking about all sorts of things, Klara 
took her father’s hand, and while his face beamed with 
delight, said with an enthusiasm which had never been 
known in the old-time feeble Klara : — 

“ Oh, papa, if you only knew all that the grandfather 
has done for me ! So much every day that I can’t tell 
you about it, but I shall never forget it in my life. I 
am always thinking, if I could only do something for 
the dear grandfather or give him something to make 
him as happy or even half as happy as he has made 


me. 


PARTING TO MEET AGAIN 


353 


“That is my greatest desire also, my dear child,” 
said her father; “I am continually thinking how we 
can prove our gratitude in some measure to our 
benefactor.” 

Herr Sesemann then rose and went to the uncle, 
who was sitting beside the grandmamma, and was hav- 
ing an unusually pleasant talk with her. He also rose. 
Herr Sesemann grasped his hand and said in the most 
friendly way : — 

“ My dear friend, let us have a word together ! You 
will understand me when I tell you that for many long 
years I have had no real happiness. What was all my 
money and wealth to me when I looked at my poor 
child whom I could not make well and happy with all 
my riches ? Next to our God in heaven, you have 
made the child well for me and given new life to me 
also. Now tell me how I can show my gratitude to 
you. I can never repay you for what you have done 
for us, but whatever is in my power I pl&ce at your 
disposal. Tell me, my friend, what I can do.” 

The uncle had listened in silence, and watched the 
happy father with a smile of contentment. 

“ Herr Sesemann, believe me, that I also have my 
share in the great joy at the recovery on our Aim ; my 
pains have been well rewarded,” said the uncle in his 
decided way. “ I thank you, Herr Sesemann, for your 
kind offer, but there is nothing that I need ; as long as 
I live I have enough for the child and myself. But I 
have one wish ; if I could have that granted, I should 
have no more anxiety for life.” 


354 


HEIDI. 


“ Name it, name it, my dear friend ! ” urged Herr 
Sesemann. 

“I am old/’ continued the uncle, “and cannot live 
here much longer. When I go, I cannot leave the 
child anything, and she has no relatives, only one single 
person, and she would take advantage of her. If Herr 
Sesemann would give me the assurance that Heidi 
would never in her life have to go out among strangers 
to seek her bread, then he would have richly rewarded 
me for what I have done for him and his child.” 

“ But, my dear friend, that goes without saying,” 
Herr Sesemann burst forth ; “the child belongs to us. 
Ask my mother, my daughter, the child Heidi will 
never be left to other people ! But if it will be any 
comfort to you, my friend, here is my hand on it. I 
promise you ; never in her life shall this child go out 
to earn her bread among strangers ; I will see to that as 
long as I live. I will say even more. This child is 
not made for a life in a strange land, whatever might 
happen ; we have seen that. But she has made friends. 
I know one who is in Frankfurt ; he is settling up his 
business there, in order to go later on wherever he likes 
and take a rest. It is my friend the doctor, and he 
is coming up here again this autumn, and, taking your 
advice, will settle in this region ; for he found more 
pleasure in your company and the child’s than any- 
where else. So you see the child Heidi will have two 
protectors near her. May they both be preserved to 
her for a long, long time ! ” 

“The dear Lord grant it may be so!” the grand- 


PARTING TO MEET AGAIN 


355 


mamma added ; and, confirming her son’s wish, she 
shook the uncle’s hand heartily for a long while. Then 
she suddenly threw her arms around Heidi’s neck, as 
she was standing beside her, and drew her toward her. 

“ And you, my dear Heidi, we must also ask you a 
question. Come, tell me if you have a wish which 
you would like to have granted.” 

“ Yes, indeed, I have,” answered Heidi, looking very 
much delighted at the grandmamma. 

“ Well, that is right, speak it out,” she said encour- 
agingly. “ What would you like to have, my child ? ” 

“ I should like to have my bed in Frankfurt, with the 
three thick pillows and the thick quilt, for then the 
grandmother would not have to lie with her head down- 
hill so that she can hardly breathe, and she would be 
warm enough under the quilt, and would n’t always 
have to go to bed with a shawl on, because she is 
terribly cold.” 

Heidi said this all in one breath in her eagerness 
to obtain what she so much desired. 

“Oh, my dear Heidi, what are you telling me?” ex- 
claimed the grandmamma in excitement. “It is a good 
thing that you remind me. In our joy we easily forget 
what we ought to think of most. When the dear Lord 
sends us something good, we ought at once to think of 
those who are in need ! We will telegraph immedi- 
ately to Frankfurt ! Rottenmeier shall have the bed 
packed up this very day; in two days more it will be 
here. God willing, the grandmother shall sleep well 
in it ! ” 


356 


HEIDI. 


Heidi danced merrily around the grandmamma. But 
all at once she stood still and said hurriedly : — 

“ I must really go as fast as I can down to the grand- 
mother’s ; she will be troubled because I have n’t been 
there for so long.” 

For Heidi could not wait any longer to carry the 
joyful message to the grandmother, and it also came 
to her mind again how troubled she had been when 
she was there last. 

“ No, no, Heidi ; what are you thinking about ? ” said 
her grandfather reprovingly. “ When one has visitors, 
one doesn’t run away from them all of a sudden.” 

But the grandmamma took Heidi’s part. 

“ My dear uncle, the child is not wrong,” she said ; 
“ the poor grandmother has been a loser for a long time 
in my opinion. Now we will all go together to see 
her, and I think I will wait for my horse there, and 
then we will continue our way, and we can send the 
telegram at once to Frankfurt from Dorfli. My son, 
what do you think of it ? ” 

Herr Sesemann had not had time before to speak 
about his plans. So he had to ask his mother not to 
start away at once, but to sit still a moment longer 
until he had told her what he intended to do. 

Herr Sesemann proposed to take a little journey 
through Switzerland with his mother, and first to see 
whether his little Klara was in a condition to travel a 
short distance with them. Now it had so happened 
that he saw he could take the enjoyable journey in 
company with his little daughter, and he was anxious 


PAR TIN G TO MEET AGAIN. 


357 


to take advantage at once of these lovely late summer 
days. He had in mind to spend the night in Dorfli and 
on the following morning to take Klara away from the 
Aim, to go with her to meet her grandmamma down in 
Ragatz, and from there to travel on farther. 

Klara was a little disturbed to hear of this sudden 
departure from the Aim ; but there were so many other 
things to be happy about, and besides there was no 
time to give way to grief. 

The grandmamma had already risen and had grasped 
Heidi’s hand to lead the way. Then all of a sudden 
she turned around. 

“ But what in the world will you do with Klarchen ?” 
she exclaimed in alarm, for it occurred to her that the 
walk would be much too long for her. 

But the uncle had already taken his little charge in 
his usual way in his arms, and was following the grand- 
mamma with firm steps, and she nodded back to him 
with satisfaction. Last came Herr Sesemann, and so 
the procession went on down the mountain. 

Heidi could not help dancing with delight as she 
went along by the side of the grandmamma, who wanted 
to know everything about the grandmother, how she 
lived, and how they got along, especially in winter, 
during the severely cold weather up there. 

Heidi told her about everything, for she knew how 
they managed, and how the grandmother sat bowed over 
in her corner and trembled with the cold. She also 
knew very well what they had to eat and what they did 
not have. 

/ 


358 


HEIDI. 


The grandmamma listened with the liveliest interest 
to all that Heidi had to tell her until they reached the 
hut. 

Brigitte was just hanging out Peters second shirt in 
the sun, so that when his other one had been worn long 
enough he could change it. She noticed the people 
and rushed into the house. 

“ They are all going away now, mother,” she said ; 
“ there is a whole procession of them ; the uncle is 
with them ; he is carrying the sick child.” 

“ Oh, must it really be ? ” sighed the grandmother. 
“ Did you see whether they were taking Heidi with 
them ? Oh, if she would only give me her hand once 
more! If I could only hear her voice once again ! ” 

Now the door was suddenly flung open as if by a 
whirlwind, and Heidi came springing into the corner 
where the grandmother was, and threw her arms around 
her neck. 

“ Grandmother ! grandmother ! My bed is coming 
from Frankfurt, and all three pillows, and the thick 
quilt, too ; in two days it will be here, the grandmamma 
said so.” 

Heidi could hardly bring out her message fast enough, 
for she could scarcely wait to see the grandmother’s 
great delight. She smiled, but there was sadness in 
her voice as she said : — 

“ Oh, what a good lady she is ! I ought to be glad 
that she is going to take you with her, Heidi; but I 
shall not survive it long.” 

“ What ? what ? Who says such a thing to the good 


PARTING TO MEET AGAEV. 


359 


old grandmother?” asked a friendly voice here ; and 
the old dame’s hand was grasped and heartily pressed, 
for the grandmamma had come in and heard everything. 
“No, no, it is no such thing! Heidi will stay with 
the grandmother and make her happy. We shall want 
to see the child again, but we will come to her. We 
shall come up to the Aim every year, for we have rea- 
son to offer our especial thanks to the dear Lord 
annually in this place where such a miracle has been 
done to our child.” 

Then the true light of joy came into the grand- 
mother’s face, and with speechless thanks she pressed 
the good Frau Sesemann’s hand again and again, while 
a couple of great tears from sheer joy glided down her 
aged cheeks. Heidi at once noticed the joyful light in 
the grandmother’s face and was quite happy. 

“ Truly, grandmother,” she said, pressing close to 
her, “it has come just as I read to you the last time ! 
Really, the bed from Frankfurt is wholesome, is n’t 
it ? ” 

“Oh, yes, Heidi, and so much more, so much good 
that the dear Lord has done for me ! ” said the grand- 
mother, deeply moved. “ How is it possible that there 
are such good people who trouble themselves about a 
poor old woman and do so much for her ? There is 
nothing that can so strengthen one’s belief in a good 
Father in heaven who will not forget even the lowliest, 
as to learn that there are such people, full of goodness 
and compassion for a poor, worthless woman such as 
I am.” 


360 


HEIDI. 


“My good grandmother/’ broke in Frau Sesemann, 
“before our Father in heaven we all are equally 
poor, and it is equally necessary to all of us that He 
should not forget us. And now we must leave you, 
but we hope to see you again, for as soon as we come 
back again next year to the Aim, we shall try to find 
the grandmother once more ; she will never be for- 
gotten ! ” 

Whereupon Frau Sesemann grasped the old dame’s 
hand again and shook it. 

But she did not get away as quickly as she thought, 
for the grandmother could not stop thanking her and 
wishing all the good that the dear Lord had it in His 
power to give, for her benefactress and all her house- 
hold. 

Then Herr Sesemann went down toward the valley 
with his mother, while the uncle carried Klara back 
home once more ; and Heidi, without pausing, jumped 
high as she went beside her, for she was so pleased 
with the grandmother’s prospects that she had to jump 
at every step. 

But the following morning Klara shed hot tears because 
she had to go away from the beautiful Aim, where she 
had been better than she had ever been before in all her 
life. But Heidi comforted her and said : — 

“ It will be summer again in no time, and then you 
will come back, and then it will be more beautiful than 
ever. Then you can walk all the time, and we can go 
up to the pasture with the goats every day and see the 
flowers, and everything will be jolly from the very first.” 


PARTING TO MEET AGAIN . 361 

Herr Sesemann came according to agreement to get 
his little daughter. He was standing with the grand- 
father, for the men had all sorts of things to talk over. 
Klara was wiping away her tears. Heidi’s words had 
comforted her a little. 

“I will leave a greeting for Peter,” she said, “and 
for all the goats, especially Schwanli. Oh, if only I 
could make Schwanli a present; she has helped so 
much to make me well.” 

“ You can do that very easily,” asserted Heidi. 
“ Only send her a little salt. You know how gladly she 
licks the salt from grandfather’s hand at night.” 

This advice pleased Klara very much. 

“ Oh, then, I will certainly send her a hundred pounds 
of salt from Frankfurt ! ” she exclaimed with delight. 
“ She, too, must have a remembrance from me.” 

Herr Sesemann then beckoned to the children, for 
he wished to start. This time the grandmamma’s white 
horse came for Klara, and she was now able to ride 
down ; she no longer needed a sedan chair. 

Heidi stationed herself at the extreme edge of the 
slope and waved her hand to Klara until the last speck 
of horse and rider had disappeared. 


The bed came, and the grandmother still sleeps so 
well in it that she is really gaining new strength. 

The kind grandmamma did not forget the hard win- 
ter on the mountain. She had a great case sent to 
goatherd Peter’s house ; there were many warm things 


362 


HEIDI. 


packed in it in which the grandmother could wrap 
herself up, and now she never has to sit any more 
shivering with the cold in the corner. 

There is a large building in progress in Dorfli. The 
doctor has come and has taken up his old quarters. 
Through the advice of his friend he purchased the old 
building where the uncle lived with Heidi in the winter, 
and which had been once a great mansion, as could still 
be seen from the lofty room with the handsome stove 
and the artistic wainscoting. This part of the house 
the doctor is having rebuilt for his own dwelling. The 
other side is being restored as winter quarters for the 
uncle and Heidi, for the doctor knew the old man was 
independent and would want to have his own house. 
Back of it is a firmly built, warm goatshed where 
Schwanli and Barli can spend their winter days most 
comfortably. 

The doctor and the Aim-Uncle are becoming better 
friends every day, and when they climb together about 
the building to look after the progress of the work, 
their thoughts turn mostly to Heidi, for to both of 
them the chief joy in the house is that they will be 
together with their happy child. 

“ My dear uncle,” said the doctor the other day, as he 
was standing up on the wall with the old man, “you 
must look at the matter as I do. I share all joy in the 
child with you, as if next to you I were the one to 
whom the child belongs ; I will share all obligations and 
care for the child as well as I know how. So I have 
also my right in our Heidi, and can hope that she will 


PARTING TO MEET AGAIN. 


363 


care for me in my old age and stay with me ; this is 
my greatest desire. Heidi shall share in my property 
as my own child ; so we can leave her without any 
anxiety when we have to go away from her — you and I.” 

The uncle pressed the doctor’s hand for a long time ; 
he spoke not a word, but his good friend could read in 
the old man’s eyes the emotion and keen delight which 
his words had aroused. 

Meanwhile Heidi and Peter were sitting with the 
grandmother, and the first had so much to relate, and 
the other so much to listen to, that they could hardly 
get their breath, and in their eagerness kept getting 
nearer and nearer to the happy grandmother. 

There was so much to talk about regarding the events 
of the summer, for they had been together so little all 
this time. 

And each of the three looked happier than the others 
at being together again, and because of the wonder- 
ful things that had taken place. But the face of 
mother Brigitte looked almost the happiest, for with 
Heidi’s help she now for the first time heard clearly 
and understanding^ about the story of the perpetual 
ten-pfennig piece. Finally the grandmother said : — 

“ Heidi, read me a song of praise and thanksgiving ! 
I feel like praising and glorifying our Lord in heaven 
and giving Him thanks for all that He has done 
for us.” 





































































































































































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CYR’S SECOND READER. Square i2mo. Cloth. 197 pages. Fully 
illustrated. Price, 36 cents. 

CYR’S THIRD READER. Square i2mo. Cloth. 280 pages. Fully 
illustrated. Price, 50 cents. 

CYR’S FOURTH READER. Square i2mo. Cloth. 388 pages. Fully 
illustrated. Price, 60 cents. 

CYR’S FIFTH READER. Square i2mo. Cloth. 428 pages. Fully 
illustrated. Price, 70 cents. 

Cyr’s Readers are in harmony with the best educational 
thought of the time. They make a most excellent introduction to 
a course of reading made up of whole pieces of the best literature. 
They do a work for schools for which it would be very difficult to 
find a substitute. The children take a constant delight in using 
them. They arouse at once such an interest in reading that the 
teaching to read is half accomplished. Children learn to read 
from these books in less than half the time than from ordinary 
readers. 

A series of school readers that can arouse and maintain an 
interest on the part of pupils for what is wholesome and elevating 
in literature must necessarily be the rarest of all among books 
for schools. The Cyr books are of this remarkable sort. They 
possess a peculiar quality of interest and inspiration. They not 
only interest but stimulate young people. This is the secret of 
their exceptional success. This is the reason why teachers like to 
teach them and young folks like to read them. 


GINN & COMPANY, Publishers, 

New York. Chicago. 


Boston. 


Atlanta. 


Dallas. 


















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